This quiet novel is more about characters and their relationships than big action scenes. In 1957, Alice Young leaves her family home after suffering violence and ends up getting off the train in New Jessup, AL, an all-Black town with residents that have no interest in integration. Content with freedom to exist in a safe space, the residents of New Jessup welcome Alice and she eventually finds love, home, and stability. Yet when she finds out about the National Negro Advancement Society's existence in New Jessup, she must reconcile her yearning for peace with the push for Black people to fight for equality, not just separation. I really loved how Minnicks portrayed this not-often-written-about debate. The characters were strong and their pros/cons for the NAS absolutely interesting. A speed up in pace at the end was a bit jarring but overall this is a solid debut and a great choice for a Black History Month read. Karen Chilton does her usual stellar job narrating the audiobook.