As one brave eleven-year-old undeniably proves, it never pays to judge people based on appearances alone. It's the summer of 1926, and Kath has come to Peaceable, Indiana, to visit her grandfather at his new congregation. Grando, however, seems edgy. Even Serena, the family's beloved housekeeper, manages only sad smiles. When pushed to explain, Grando tells Kath that the dreaded Ku Klux Klan has focused its attention on Serena. Her color is all some people are seeing right now. He's determined to fight back -- or to die trying. Kath is determined, too. Only Serena has recognized that the diminutive Kath is doing all her growing inside these days. It's now Kath's turn to stand up for Serena in a novel as daring as it is eloquent.