atives ▁about ▁the ▁emer ging ▁aw aren ess ▁of ▁a ▁girl , ▁her ▁place ▁in ▁her ▁family ▁and ▁world , ▁and ▁the ▁trem end ous ▁power ▁of ▁words ▁for ▁good ▁and ▁bad . ▁Ref lect ing ▁the ▁narr ator ' s ▁love ▁of ▁words ▁is ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁each ▁chapter ▁begins ▁with ▁a ▁succeed ing ▁letter ▁of ▁the ▁alphabet . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁A men ▁Mc Be e ▁is ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁the ▁disappoint ing ▁sixth ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁wealth y ▁family ; ▁but ▁grows ▁up ▁well - lo ved ▁and ▁into ▁an ▁aw aren ess ▁of ▁everyone ' s ▁strength s ▁and ▁weak ness es . ▁Her ▁tw in ▁sister s ▁Arab ella ▁and ▁Ann abel la ▁teach ▁her ▁bold ness ▁and ▁hum our ; ▁older ▁sister s ▁August a ▁and ▁Ab ig ail ▁insp ire ▁more ▁kind ness . ▁Her ▁father ▁is ▁stern ▁but ▁lov ing , ▁her ▁mother ▁lov ing ▁but ▁fra il , ▁and ▁she ▁also ▁lives ▁with ▁her ▁father ' s ▁cold ▁spin ster ▁sister . ▁A men ' s ▁mat ernal ▁grand m other , ▁a ▁progress ive ▁spirit ▁bearing ▁g ifts ▁of ▁cam eras , ▁arriv es ▁during ▁her ▁daughter ' s ▁new ▁pre gn ancy , ▁which ▁cul min ates ▁with ▁long - await ed ▁arrival ▁of ▁a ▁son . ▁A men ▁is ▁also ▁learning ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁secret ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁history , ▁especially ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁an ▁infant ▁sister , ▁and ▁the ▁myster ious ▁Mr . ▁Tom