Mo'n used to say a woman's hair is her glory. I think she read that somewhere in the Bible. But I've found no glory in my hair.

My hair brings me nothing but pain.

All my life, I have been called black, ugly, and "nappy head."

Growing up in Opelika, Alabama, in the 1950s, Nadine is rejected by her mother, Mo'n, and told repeatedly that she is ugly. Believing that she can't be beautiful with her dark skin and kinky hair, Nadine suffers from low self-esteem and yearns to experience the true meaning of love.

When a devastating family secret finally comes out, Nadine struggles to make sense of it all. Now she must find a way to break down the barriers of self-hate she has built within and learn to embrace her inner beauty.