Dixie Riggs

Naive but likable good-ol'-girl Dixie Riggs bumbles her way through this irresistible novel by the author of Hairdo. Believing in the wrong people and yearning for the wrong goals, she nevertheless strikes it lucky and finds happiness from an unexpected source. Having moved from Cordelia, Ga., to Myrtle Beach, S.C. to live in her boyfriend's parents' home, Dixie says that all she wants from life is to become Mrs. Buck Speed. But she scotches her chances when her best friend Sparkle talks her into posing for lewd photos. When Buck is sent copies of the shots, he kicks Dixie out of his life, reminding her that since he wants to be a televangelist (and body builder) she is no longer a suitable wife for him. Crushed, Dixie wonders who could have given the photos to Buck. But, resourcefully, she uses Buck's mother's credit card to embark on a modeling career. When Sparkle turns up in Buck's parents' house as Buck's new girl, Dixie is miffed but not too surprised by the perfidy of friends and lovers. Nothing in Dixie's life is ever minor; each event becomes a crisis that is related with high humor in her down-home voice. Gilbert portrays her redneck characters with warmth, verve and never a touch of condescension. (Mar.)