Fair and Tender Ladies

Part 4 covers the time period spanning between 1927 and 1940, once Ivy moves back to Sugar Fork with her now-husband Oakley. Ivy’s writing continues to improve and she includes dates much more often on her letters, providing a greater sense of the passage of time. Ivy’s writings during this period include shorter letters to a variety of recipients, including her siblings, Miss Torrington, and her family, as well as several extremely long letters to Silvaney in which Ivy pours out her innermost thoughts and feelings. Ivy writes to Silvaney even though Silvaney has died in the flu epidemic. As the time span of each part of the book increases and Ivy’s number of letters does not, Smith suggests that as she ages, Ivy writes less and less frequently.

Victor and Ethel help Ivy and Oakley get resettled in Sugar Fork. Violet’s daughter, Martha, lives with Ivy for the time being while Violet works organizing a union in the coal company and leading strikes against the mine. Beulah no longer responds to Ivy’s letters or speaks to her. Oakley brings Ivy to church regularly, but Ivy still does not believe in God and has no desire to change that.