This story was told during present day where we meet Elizabeth Balsam. Then we skip back in time to Nora and 1963. After that, we go to Lapeer County, small town in the Northern midwest during the 1860s with Mary. Sounds confusing, right? Well, it is and you need to put your thinking cap on for this one. I had to read a page or two to figure out where we were and who we were with every chapter time change. I'm glad I stuck with it though, the author really shows you how racist people were back then and how difficult it was for freed and escaped slaves and the people who helped them. Things had certainly improved in the 1960s in Detroit but racial tensions and segregation still ruled and was difficult to deal with. I think this would be a great pick for book club discussions.