Publisher's Synopsis
Simple acts of kindness work their magic in three heart-warming stories set in racially divided central Florida in 1957 before air conditioning, Disney World, and integration. Lora Lee, James, and Hattie are strangers, their interactions prescribed and limited by strict social rules of conduct set down in Jim Crow laws. The fullness of their lives lies hidden, but brief interactions lower the walls and masks a little, and something shifts inside each of them. Book I - Spunky little Lora Lee (11) faces problems at school and needs something, besides occasional comic relief at church and school, to make her life better. An unexpected visitor and trip to town bring that "something." Book II - Just becoming a man, James (19) is bound by the limits imposed by his color. His close-knit family provides a strong foundation, but his friendship with an older white woman could be most helpful in dealing with a racist company boss. Book III - When her thoughtless husband, Horace, takes off leaving her penniless, Hattie (42) considers divorce. An offer from her brother requires a decision: if she decides to leave Horace, she'll have to wait a few days, and she's terrified of what he might do.
