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She’s an orphan raised in a rustic cabin by her Grandma Blue, a descendent of the Black Cherokee Freedmen. Caught in deep currents of history that she doesn’t understand, she is, as her grandma says: “half Black, half Cherokee, and all mixed up.”\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eWhile Ophelia may not always understand where she came from, there’s no mistaking where she’d rather be: caught in the warmth of Grandma Blue’s cabin, listening to bedtime Cherokee legends as collard greens hiss in the frying pan.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBut one day, a tall stranger with a black denim jacket and a charming smile appears, and his arrival shatters Ophelia’s world. She finds herself whisked away from all she knows to live with her Auntie Oba, the boisterous woman she had only met in rumours.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eSo begins Ophelia’s spirited, at times harrowing, search for home and family—a journey that takes her from a majority-white high school to the inner sanctum of a Black evangelical church to the throbbing dance floors of underground Southern clubs and to a final, devastating encounter with the scion of a wealthy, white family. 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Three weeks to uncover the story—and love—of a lifetime.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eObituary writer Nadine Barbault doesn't mind being called \"Lady Death.\" It suits the ice queen persona she's cultivated to survive the fast-paced Toronto Herald. So when Nadine learns that famous (and reclusive) author Dot Voline has died, she doesn't hesitate to run the obituary…only to discover that Dot is very much alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNadine's screw-up has brought Wesley Chen of the rival Spear no end of joy—she's been a thorn in his extremely ambitious side for years. But the renewed interest in Dot also surfaced chatter about a mysterious past scandal. Intrigued, Wes goes to the source to learn more—only to discover Nadine had the exact same idea…and the infuriating woman isn't willing to respect dibs. Typical.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt first, Dot refuses to speak to either of the squabbling pair, but then they receive an unusual request—work together, and Dot will share everything. The offer seems too good to be true…and of course, it is: in a bitter twist of irony, Dot dies for real before she can finish recounting her story. Not all is lost, however. The estate's executor allows Wes and Nadine access to Dot's sprawling wonderland of a mansion for three weeks to find their answer. 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