When her mother died, seven-year-old Sara Jane Talbot knew things would never be the same--and she was right. Her father's dark moods got darker. The abuse he administered got worse. And life in rural Mallard, Texas quickly became almost unbearable--except when she was with her best friends, Precious and Joyce Ann. They made her feel special, as if she finally belonged. But one night the girls committed a robbery--with Sara Jane as an unwitting accomplice. The good times were over.
Now, after five long years in the Gatesview Correctional Facility for Women, Sara Jane is ready to turn her life around. She has a cosmetology license, a new name (Serena St. James), and a dream. Serena views her first post- prison job--as a shampoo girl at an upscale Dallas salon-- as an important first step, and when a world-famous R&B singer hires Serena as her personal stylist, it seems as if Serena's wishes are finally going to come true.
However, Serena cannot escape the memories of her childhood, and lives in dread that her new life will become tainted by the terrible secrets of her old one. Her fears are not unfounded--for someone who knows all about the nightmares of her past will stop at nothing to use them against her...
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