Castles of the Heart relates the life of Starlight O Bannion, a very bright white girl born in the heart of redneck country in the years leading up to World War II. Her growing-up companions are a treasured Negro family living nearby. Starlight graduates early from high school and college and is sponsored for law school by a local attorney. Soon she becomes a high-flying, hugely successful New York attorney, rising fast in her firm and her profession. From out of the blue comes a crisis from her past: the father of the Negro family pleads with her to represent his grandson, who is falsely accused of murder. If Starlight is loyal to her roots, she risks losing everything she has worked hard to win in her career. If she rejects her old friend s appeal, the innocent boy will likely swing at the end of a rope and she must live with her conscience. Her choice sets the stage for an explosive courtroom showdown that leads to permanent changes in the nature of race relations in North Carolina. When Starlight understands where her true castle is, she demonstrates God s powerful work in the lives of men and women everywhere."
