It's 1928. Bessie Coulter's father whisks her from their North Carolina farm to Harlem, New York, with no explanation-leaving Mama behind. Twelve-tear-old Bessie's determination to find out what's happening to her family leads her into the midst of the vibrant Harlem Renaissance. As she searches for the truth about her family, she meets writers, artists, jazz dancers-even a millionaire and a women rumored to have magical powers