At seven years old, Sallee Mackey is wary of the grownups that populate her 1950s Southern world—especially her mother, Ginny—and with good reason.

Ginny is flat-out dangerous, particularly if she is crossed while in one of her moods. While Sallee learns early on to rely on furtiveness and a watchful eye in an attempt to live in harmony with her family, the family’s long-time black maid becomes her one saving grace. But even Ethel has secrets. Ethel and Ginny’s relationship goes back to girlhood. While Ginny has conveniently forgotten that fact, Sallee hasn’t. As she questions Ethel about the mysteries of their shared history, their bigoted next-door neighbor knows that he too, shares that same past.

As marital and neighborhood tensions rise, Sallee discovers growing schisms inside her home that lead to conflicted loyalties that threaten to destroy not only Ethel, but also the children she loves.

Apron Strings shares the compelling story of a well-to-do white girl and her family’s black maid as they unite to overcome the hatred and segregation embedded in their 1950s southern culture, and prove that love sees no color.