The story revolves around a grim yet darkly humourous pilgrimage, as Addie Bundren's family sets out to fulfill her last wish: to be buried in her native Jefferson, Mississippi, far from the miserable backwater surroundings of her married life. Told through multiple voices, it vividly brings to life Faulkner's imaginary South, and is replete with the poignant, impoverished, violent, and fascinating characters that were his trademark.