The story opens with a scene at Johnny Cash's funeral when author Tamara Saviano is struck with grief about unfinished business with her father.
Her sorrow leads the author on a journey to rediscover her father and examine the lost relationship with a man she once loved. Through an unstable childhood, a turbulent young adulthood and finally on a path to freedom, Saviano lays bare the complexity of family ties both those that bind and those that break.
She weaves a tale that proves music can provide a lasting connection long after human relationships have unraveled. Founded in a mid-century coming-of-age tale, The Most Beautiful Girl represents a true American remembrance of childhood anguish, lost identity and happy endings.
The Most Beautiful Girl concludes at the 2005 GRAMMY Awards, as Saviano is honored for producing the Best Traditional Folk Album Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster.