In the 1950s and '60s, America hasn't reached ethnic equality. On the crowded Jersey Shore, resort city Cape May is known for its local pub, Joe's Tap, and its racial integration. Joe's Tap is a place for people of all races to unwind, from African American to Puerto Rican to white. Owners Joe and Mary keep the peace as best they can.
In the backdrop of this raucous joint is a girl by the name of Maurine Finch. She lives with her daddy, Mo, on the second story above Joe's Tap. Maurine, or "Little Mo," only has one friend, Ella, so when the two girls head off to school together, Little Mo comes to realize the other kids all have two parents: a mama and a papa. Little Mo never knew her mother, and her father doesn't have much to say about the woman he presumably once loved.
As she grows up, Maurine makes a life for herself. She still struggles with racial identity, and when love comes along, she learns how to be broken and how to put herself back together. As she grows to adulthood, Maurine tries to be comfortable in her own colored skin. With the help of lessons learned at Joe's Tap, the girl once known as Little Mo might find enduring happiness where she least expects it.