A fresh start. That's all Evan Pao wants as he, his mother, and sister flee from California to Haddington, Virginia, hoping to keep his father's notoriety a secret. But Haddington is steeped in tradition, and moving to a town immersed in the past has its own price. Although Evan makes friends, one boy seems determined to make sure that as a Chinese American, Evan feels that he does not belong. When Evan finds a unique way to make himself part of the school's annual Civil War celebration, the reaction is swift and violent. As his choices at home and school collide, Evan must decide whether he will react with the same cruelty shown to him or choose a different path.