The action takes place in 1960s Baltimore. Maddy Schwartz, a housewife and respectable mother, drastically changes her life due to an unsolved murder that troubles her. She decides to conduct her own journalistic investigation. Soon, the main character encounters Cleo Sherwood, a hardworking woman who juggles motherhood and multiple jobs. Additionally, she is a staunch advocate of a progressive program promoting the rights of African Americans.