On her family's small farm in the Deep South, fourteen-year-old Sarah Jane clashes with her mother. At every turn, Sarah Jane's dreams are crushed. Worst of all, Michael Hutchinson's warm brown eyes witness her humiliation. When her mother's erratic behavior worsens, Sarah Jane must find a way to survive, for her young brother's sake as well as her own. When Michael offers her hope, will she have the strength to stand against Momma's unreasonable demands? If Sarah Jane will only learn to lean, refuge is waiting... in the shade of the cedar.