I want to tell you a little bit about one the key characters in the first book of the series, known simply as PIG PARTS. Jessie, our heroine Bess’s little sister, is a good child and a real nature lover.
Jessie’s life has not been an easy one. Bess and Jessie’s mother left them when Jessie was just a baby and Bess was eight years old. Jessie misses having a real mother, even though Bess fills the role as best she can. Jessie still suffers hurt from her mother’s abandonment.
When Jessie is in kindergarten, she and Bess are forced by circumstance to leave their father and move from Austin to their grandparents ranch in Central Texas. Jessie adores ranch life and thrives. Bess teaches her to swim in the stock tank. The photo represents Jessie jumping into the tank, a quick way to cool off in the blistering summer heat. She captures and cares for non-poisonous snakes and a Mexican Red Leg Tarantula. The centerpiece of her pet collection is an ugly snub-nosed Texas Water Snake.
Jessie is smart and bold and decisive. She loves silliness and fun of all kinds. Unfortunately, her years at the ranch are numbered, and when she is twelve, she and Bess move back to Austin. This time they live on their own in an apartment, and Bess attends the University of Texas.