Moving through the tumultuous decades of time, from the end of WWII to the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s, the Fergerson/Broussard family's struggle continues, as Martha, the matriarch, faces life in a mental institution. Her control continues to reach beyond the walls of her confinement, as she confesses to a lifetime of wrongdoings, which threaten to destroy her family. In the small town of Estilette, Louisiana, where racism and injustice are simply a part of everyday life, the family struggles to escape the shadows of emotional conflicts, which are played out against a backdrop of the blues. The blues that emerged from the likes of Leadbelly, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Lightin' Hopkins, Muddy Waters and BB King. "Phillip took a deep breath and pulled at his eyebrows. Troubles were raining down on the family; Lala announced that she was getting a divorce-Rosa was running around with a man wanted by the law, and Lightfoot came close to shooting Naomi. His family was unraveling right before his eyes."