Generva Meade is heir to a fortune and a legacy of activism. Her Quaker ancestors were abolitionists, her namesake was a famous pioneering feminist, and her father is a notoriously radical hippie attorney.

It's 1974, and Generva, called Genna, is a freshman at a college founded by her great-grandfather. Her roommate, Minette Swift, is a black scholarship student and the pious, anxious, and aloof daughter of a minister. She also appears to be the target of hate crimes. Genna tries so desperately to befriend Minette that there is something suspect about her avid fascination. As events unfold, Genna's growing frustration over the unbridgeable gap between her and Minette fuels her anger with her elusive father, who may be in danger due to his involvement with a protest bombing.