New Mexico, 1837.
As New Mexico teeters on the verge of revolution, eight-year-old Alma's family experiences an upheaval of its own. Ten years ago, her father, Gerald, chose not to tell her mother, Suzanna, that some of his ancestors were born in Africa. Now Alma's mother has learned the truth.
Stunned and furious, Suzanna leaves the family's mountain valley and takes Alma and her younger brother, Andrew, with her. Gerald allows the children to go because he believes they'll be safer with their mother than with him in the mountains. However, as Suzanna, Alma, and Andrew reach Santa Fe, revolt breaks out and the children are exposed to sights no child should ever have to experience.
This trauma and the prejudice the children experience because of their heritage makes Alma long for home. But even if her mother can forgive past secrets, the way is now blocked by wintery weather and entrenched rebels. Will Alma's family ever be reunited?
A heart-breaking yet ultimately triumphant story about secrets, prejudice, love, and the impact of adult conflict on our children.