In a small Southern town, two teenagers find themselves falling into a once-in-a-lifetime love affair, while the people around them watch with hope or despair. Flora Jean is a young Black girl who daydreams of leaving the segregated caste system of Mississippi far behind her. She's being raised by her single mother, Lily, a no-nonsense woman who is willing to do whatever is necessary to raise her daughter to be smart and independent.

Bobby Jr. is the oldest son of the richest family in the region. He has learned at an early age that money does not buy happiness, nor does it guarantee love. When he stumbles into a relationship with Flora Jean, he realizes he's found not only the girl of his dreams, but his best friend and soulmate.

The story of their lives is told by the two of them, as well as their parents, and a surly young man named Raymond, who is head-over-heels in love with Flora Jean. The only person rooting for the star-crossed lovers is Jasper, the butler who has a special place in his heart for them both.

Tragedy and triumph are inevitabilities that lie in wait for Bobby Jr., as he falls under the spell of Flora Jean, a magical creature with the God-given gift of making butterflies dance whenever she sings to them.