Who is Belle Prater from Belle Prater's Boy and what is their importance?

Belle Prater is the mother of Woodrow Prater, the sister of Love Ball Dotson, and the wife of Everette Prater. Belle grew up as the less attractive sister of Love, who was one of the most gorgeous women in the county, and she often found herself taking a back seat to her sister. As a young woman, Belle fell in love with a man named Amos Leemaster, a newcomer in town, and he loved her in return. When Amos met Love, however, he fell for her instead, and left Belle. Destroyed and hurt, Belle immediately went out, found the first man to pay her attention, and married him. She moved away from her family into the mountains, and lived a life of squalor in an effort to avoid the hurt her family had caused. Eventually, however, Belle can no longer take the life she has chosen, and abandons her husband and child.