A girl from a Carolina mill family isn’t supposed to strive for a career, but Ada graduates from college and lands a plum job as a librarian. As the South rocks with turbulence, Ada finds herself caught in the ugly fight to integrate the Charlotte, NC public schools. At the same time, she makes friends with Cam Lively, a teacher who challenges her to reexamine her narrow upbringing. The two women fall in love and throw in their lot together, despite their underlying fear of being found out.