Lauretta Eason grew up in a strict, religious household. Fear of punishment kept her meek and submissive, and early on, she became desperate to please the men in her life to keep them from abandoning her. Her rough childhood turned into an even worse adulthood. The man who she thinks is the love of her life becomes a menacing abuser who ends up on death row.

Terrified for her life-and pregnant-she reaches out to a father she has not seen since she was a little girl. She falls back on a ritual designed to bring comfort during the darkest of times as she recalls him playing his Hawaiian...