Richardsons and the Stalwarts, are intertwined as the Stalwarts sharecrop on the Richardsons’ plantation, and Anne Stalwart, the mother, serves as the Richardsons’ maid. Events during the summer of 1952 thrust the families closer together and rock traditional racial barriers. William Stalwart, the eleven-year-old son, and Anita Richardson, the ten-year-old daughter, accidentally meet and, finding acceptance with each other, their friendship flourishes. They discover shelter at a pond where they secretly meet to swim. The Stalwarts also join the struggle for civil rights as the eldest son Lester becomes involved. Tensions mount when segregationists led by Charlie Stalwart discover these events.

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