Cecelia Knowles is on a journey of redemption. Her privileged life has been sullied by her alcohol abuse and chronic depression, leaving her marriage severely damaged and her daughter in the care of her matriarchal mother-in-law.

Meanwhile, Lannie Forrest, a black single mother of three, questions her life choices as she struggles toward graduating from community college. A goal plagued with constant interruptions, the most recent being the recurring illness of her youngest, three-year-old Jamie.

When the two women meet at a healthcare clinic, Cecelia, a nurse, is impressed by Lannie's efforts to achieve a better life. She lends a helping hand and is soon involved in the perpetual problems of the Forrest family. Against the tug of other loyalties, Lannie becomes increasingly dependent on their fragile friendship. When Cecelia's attachment to Jamie becomes suspect, tensions within both families build. The story takes a dark turn with the return of Jamie's father to the Forrest home.

Years later, Jamie, now a troubled teen, reignites old fears. Can Cecelia trust him? Will others decide for her? Will she be safe; will he? The answers are as contemporary as tomorrow's headline?

"The novel affords these women the space to air their all-too-real troubles, as only inspired fiction can."-Kirkus Reviews