In the Texas Hill Country of 1963, fifteen-year-old April's world is shaken by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Deeply affected, she resolves to live by the ideals she believes he represented.
As racial tensions simmer and the nation struggles to make sense of tragedy, April finds herself at odds with the conventions of her small-town community. She stands by Ronnie, the only girl of color in her school, whose friendship has become an important part of her life.
At home, April must navigate the unpredictable behavior of her mother, Violet, whose troubled past casts a long shadow over the family. Meanwhile, she finds refuge in a wild filly and in a hidden valley of extraordinary beauty.
Through Clay, a young biologist devoted to protecting a rare Hill Country songbird, April is drawn more deeply into the natural world and begins to see people-and herself-with heightened awareness.
Set against one of the most turbulent periods in modern American history, the novel explores courage, belonging, love, forgiveness, and the choices that shape a life.
