The year is 1910. 

Trudy Cameron, an 11-year-old girl introduced to listeners in The Dream Bucket, meets a 13-year-old neighbor, Manuela Blayne. Trudy and her seven-year-old stepsister, Bailey Benton, make friends with Manuela, while Trudy realizes she can never understand her new friend. 

Yasmin, Manuela's mother, has given the girl to Nettie and Herschel Blayne, who were born into slavery. Manuela's grandmother, Nettie, is epileptic. Her grandfather, Herschel, an alcoholic, makes and sells all kinds of illegal spirits. 

Manuela Blayne the fourth book in the Covington Chronicles. It is a complete story that stands alone. To understand some of the characters fully, however, it would be beneficial to listen to The Dream Bucket first. In first-person point of view, Trudy tells the story in her own words. 

As Trudy and her siblings mature, they indulge in surprising mischief. The novella tells the struggles of young people to achieve what they hope for by overcoming various obstacles. Manuela Blayne is not primarily a romance, but it contains an unexpected romance. 

Trudy sees how different her opportunities are from those afforded to Manuela. Trudy finds it impossible not to suffer some of what her friend endures. She hopes to help her friend make a difference in life, while Manuela exemplifies a beautiful new kind of hope.