It is 1925 in Savannah, Georgia, as five-year-old Nicie walks through her slum neighborhood and wonders who she really is. Raised by her grandmother, aunt, and uncle and given no details of her biological parents, Nicie feels angry and alone. She longs to belong, but Nicie is the victim of secrets.

Called Nice Chile by her grandmother, Nicie is undernourished and bears the unfortunate knowledge that she is not wanted. Her grandmother cares for her, but when Nicie is six, her grandmother passes away, changing her life forever. Haunted by recurrent dreams about her parents, Nicie finds a kindred spirit in a new friend, Miss Missy Mock, who soon tells her the story of her family of another place and time and slowly unlocks the mysteries of her identity. Missy takes Nicie's hand and leads her into the past, where she is about to find the amazing grace she has been searching for her whole life.

In this historical tale set in the Deep South, the truth is finally revealed to a little girl determined to discover her identity and realize the happiness she deserves.