1982. Eleven-year-old Ella lives in the racially divided town of Ricksville, Mississippi, not far from where the Freedom Summer Murders occurred. Too smart for her own good, she loves God, Mr. Macabe, and Nate, the tough owner of the local diner. To her perpetually irritated Ma, and Leroy, her mother's lover, Ella is an unwanted nuisance. The arrival of Ms. St. James puts the Black side of town on edge. Why is this white woman making friends with a little Black girl? When Ms. St. James begins tutoring Ella, an unlikely friendship develops. Soon Ella is willing to risk anything and everything to keep Ms. St. James in a community itching to see her gone. They both have secrets-- which will ultimately come out with devastating consequences.
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