It tells the story of a young Black woman in Philadelphia, who is wrongly accused of kidnapping while babysitting a white child, and the events that follow the incident.

Alix Chamberlain is a wealthy influencer, blogger, and public speaker in her early thirties who has built a brand known as "LetHer Speak" around the practice of writing old-fashioned letters to businesses, often in exchange for free product samples and encouraging women to be assertive.

Alix's family has moved from New York City to her hometown of Philadelphia for her husband Peter's job as a television anchor, and her career is stalling as she raises two children and attempts to write her first book.

Alix calls Emira, who is at a party with friends, to take Briar with her to a local, trendy supermarket while she and Peter speak with the police.

Emira, feeling Kelley is being inconsiderate of her anxiety about her employment status and lack of professional career, refuses to quit.

[7] Reid explained that she did not think of her characters as inherently bad, conversely, that they "were dying to help, but kind of going through mental gymnastics to ignore the broken systems that put people where they are to begin with.

Over the course of the book, Emira's main concern is to find a secure job, as she will be removed from her parents' healthcare insurance cover upon turning 26.

[13] Reid stated in an interview that "the history of black women taking care of white children is at the forefront [of the book].

"[18] The novel also received praise from Kirkus Reviews[19] and Publishers Weekly, with the latter describing it as a "nuanced portrait of a young black woman struggling to define herself apart from the white people in her life who are all too ready to speak and act on her behalf.

"[20] Hephzibah Anderson of The Observer criticized the character development of Alix Chamberlain as well as the novel's plot for "[pivoting] on an almighty coincidence" but nonetheless called it a "cracking debut" and wrote that "Reid writes with a confidence and verve that produce magnetic prose.

"[21] The Boston Globe concurred, noting that the second half of the novel was based on a "contrived" coincidence but "once you buy into the path Reid chooses, she deftly ratchets up the tension and the characters always ring true.

[26] Lena Waithe's Hillman Grad Productions and Sight Unseen Pictures pre-emptively acquired the film and television rights to the novel in August 2018.