Alice's spectrum of emotions were as wide as her new hometown's namesake: Rainbow, GA. She dreaded living in the rundown town, she held out hope for her father's return, she was confused over her grandmother's declining health, she fiercely protected her deaf brother, and she mistrusted Miss Millie. The author deftly uses each character to symbolize another spectrum of learning and growth that turns limited sight into wisdom. Freedom eventually prevails once understanding conquers ignorance, authenticity replaces segregation's remnants, and maturity moves beyond disappointment to new hope. An extremely rich, redemptive read. A poignant, beautifully written debut about the friendship between a white girl and an elderly black woman in the South of the 1960s.