Magnolia was just another sleepy Southern town...until she arrived. Didi Diyoka can't believe her good fortune when she's given the opportunity to attend high school in America for her senior year - and maybe after that. Once she arrives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she marvels at the almost magical upgrades in her education and standard of living. But as time goes on, Didi begins to understand that the trappings of her new life come at a price, and notices the chilling similarities between her new home and the one she left behind. And although it's 2013, it seems that in Magnolia, South Carolina, time has stood still, and that the ghosts of its past are never far away. What then happens forces Didi to examine the values of her community, school and friends, and embark upon a journey of discovery about her new country - and herself.