War widow Nola leaves jazz-age Harlem to return to her hometown of Agate, Illinois, where her aunt serves as a local "hoodoo woman." Nola grew up in the Phyllis Wheatley School, and when that school needs her help to deal with a threat to its reputation that threatens its very survival, she steps up to help.

Unfortunately, that help takes her to the notorious Wham Bam Club, where things go from bad to worse, with one of the students suspected of murder. Nola's adventures are interwoven with African-American history and depictions of life for black people in the Midwest in the early 20th century. The result is an eye-opening book.

The characters are complex and the community is an interesting one; I hope there will be more in the series.