Stories on dysfunctional families are abound. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Mississippi native Jesmyn Ward tells of the same issue but highlights more than just a family conflict. Set in the fictional town of Bois, Sauvage, Mississippi, the book opens with teenage boy Jojo questioning what death is as he’s about to help his grandfather Pop slaughter a goat. Living with his maternal grandparents, Pop and Grandma Mam, Jojo comes from a dysfunctional family. His African American mother Leonie is a drug addict, while his white father Michael is serving time in Mississippi State Penitentiary, popularly known as Parchman Farm. The task of taking care of his little sister Kayla falls on Jojo. In the book, Jojo has just turned 13 when Leonie receives the good news that Michael will be released from prison. Despite their distant relationship, Leonie plans to take Jojo and Kayla on a road trip to pick up Michael from prison.