Meet the Gabriel family: LaDonna, an entrepreneur of prodigious creativity, has been sentenced to a term in the Shakopee Women's Detention Center, that is extended when she puts a hex on the judge. Undaunted, she creates a line of cosmetic products from her cell. Marcus, LaDonna's significant other, spends his days pining for LaDonna, teaching his classes at Hawthorne Elementary School, and hanging out with Ali, their teen-age son.

Verda, Marcus's mother, seizes the opportunity to find someone suitable to replace LaDonna. She sets about hiring a maid to infiltrate the household and capture Marcus's affections. During this trying time one woman - Dr. Ione Wilson Simpson, a teacher at Mid North Bible College - remains loyal to LaDonna. Ali, and the other teen-agers in the book, view all the machinations from a safe distance, with typical teen-age aplomb.

Haynes deftly portrays his characters using dialogue that is scrupulously faithful to each of them. He escorts the reader on a tour of a community bursting with memorable people who hold remarkable points of view. Haynes carries this off with ease, while revealing the humor of close relationships.