Jacqueline Luann is an eleven-year old girl living in a small Georgia town. When she witnesses her brother's murder by her stepfather all hell breaks loose. In a town where timber is god and Olin, her stepfather, is the owner of a pulp manufacturing company, Jacqueline battles the good-ol'-boy system of corruption, payoffs, and back-alley handshake deals. With no family left to protect her, she is drawn into the adult world. Proving her stepfather's guilt becomes a "he said, she said" with him coming out on top. Who believes a child?On this journey, she discovers Olin's physical and sexual abuse has left open wounds — some will heal with time while others never will. Will she find through her brother's sacrifice a new family who loves her and answers her unspoken prayers for security, warmth, and love? Or will Olin win this round too? He wants her silenced...permanently.