Marie, a popular black girl, isn’t looking for a friend when Lena, a white girl, moves to town. In their community, people are expected to know their place: the black, prosperous side of town or the poor, white side. Yet Marie and Lena feel drawn to each other, because they’ve both lost their mothers. They also both have secrets, and Lena’s is terrifying. When she finally tells Marie the truth about her father, Marie must decide what would help Lena more—to keep her secret, or to tell it.

Jacqueline Woodson explores questions of race, love, power, and loss, and shows us the healing strength of friendship in this intriguing novel.