As a young Tennessee girl, I knew Louisiana was a Southern state, but in my mind, New Orleans was a separate entity entirely. I heard the stories of the Crescent City citizens who celebrate with spectacles, where folks throw beads and act strangely.

Their floats looked nothing akin to my type of parades where homecoming queens and Santas wave to crowds. The tales regarding this city of jazz, crawfish, muggy weather, bayous, and crooked politicians played in my mind like a mysterious backdrop for a novel.