Okeowo blends memoir, history and reporting to tell what she calls an “alternate history” of Alabama — one that complicates stereotypes, highlights resilience and resonates far beyond the South. Her parents’ story is emblematic of Alabama’s complexity: They came almost by accident, stayed out of necessity and discovered friendship, work and community. She situates their experience alongside those of other groups who often fall outside the conventional black-and-white narrative of Alabama. Okeowo underscores that their resilience — their refusal to leave, their ability to adapt and their insistence on belonging — is what gives Alabama its true potential. Alabama’s history of progress has been painfully slow, marked by long stretches of stagnation or even regression.