Carolane Burke

Carolane Burke is a warm Southern mother who hires Olivia Parker to babysit during a state leadership conference. Olivia has reinvented herself with fake glasses, a British accent, and stories about a world-traveling father. When Mrs. Burke speaks in a Southern drawl, Olivia impulsively answers in the same style and becomes trapped between her invented voices. The situation grows worse when Olivia learns that Carolane is also a judge at the conference competition. Despite Olivia's panic, Mrs. Burke and the other adults have not been fooled by the performance. Carolane's quiet awareness helps force Olivia to stop managing impressions and tell the truth. Her presence turns a comic babysitting misunderstanding into a test of whether Olivia can lead others while refusing to speak in her own voice.