When an old boy friend of Alice, River's mother, makes advances toward River, Ivan bloodys his nose, kicks him out. Ivan, River and her half brother and sister, Toby and Callie, pack up and leave town. Driving until late they stumble onto a deserted cabin and move in. The school  bully takes great pleasure in calling River, "white nigger". As River struggles to ignore the taunt, she also is working to accept and feel comfortable with  Ivan as a father. 
 A town bigot defaces Elizabeth Morningside's Edsel with the words "nigger lover" and a child's death has vigilanties determined to hang Ivan, ( more than once ) Alice accuses Ivan of kidnapping River. 
 Incident after incident, "WHITE NIGGER" will keep readers entranced and busily turning the pages.