Explain why Cold Sassy Tree has been called “. . . a novel about an old man growing young, a young man growing up, and the modern age coming to a small southern town.”

Well you have Rucker Blakeslee, who is old, marrying a much younger woman. This seems to breath new life into him. Pretty soon he is taking trips to New York and talking about starting a car dealership. The narrator, Will Tweedy, is coming of age. Through Rucker and Miss. Simpson, Will learns about how unorthodox unions can bring happiness and joy. He learns that small town gossip can be poison to what is true and real. Finally this union reminds this small Southern town that love can come in many ways, shapes and forms. They learn that tradition is not always what life brings.