A family without men, the birches live gloriously offbeatlives in the lush, green backwoods of north carolina.in a sad and singular era, they are unique among womenof their time. For radiant, headstrong sophia and her sh...A family without men, the birches live gloriously offbeatlives in the lush, green backwoods of north carolina.in a sad and singular era, they are unique among womenof their time. For radiant, headstrong sophia and her shy andbrilliant daughter margaret possess powerful charmsto ward off loneliness, despair, and the human misery that alltoo often beats a path to their door.