The year is 1964, and Alice Ann Moxley's FBI–agent father has been reassigned from Chicago to Jackson, Mississippi. Alice finds herself thrust into the midst of the racial turmoil that dominates current events, especially when a black girl named Valerie Taylor joins her sixth-grade class. When Alice finds that no one at school likes her, she figures Valerie, being the other outsider, will be easier to make friends with. No such luck, since Valerie doesn't seem to be looking for friends. Instead, Valerie silently endures the frequent harassment from classmates, much worse than what Alice is put through. Soon, Alice decides the only way to befriend anyone is to join in the efforts to make Valerie miserable. But will Alice learn the consequences of following the crowd instead of her heart before it's too late?