Lots of girls in Union, Ohio think they're special, but from the start, Letty Haubstadt was too special for Union. The way she moves, the quality of her voice, the striking way her bright blue eyes play against the pitch black hue of her hair—she has an attention-drawing quality that her mother always referred to as her magic.

Magic has been hard to come by in the Haubstadt household since Letty's mother died in 1923. Since then, Letty's austere, religious father has insisted that she and her sisters dress in the drab black of children in mourning. He even forbids dancing. Still, Letty's father and his severe expectations have never dampened her dream of becoming a star.

Secretly reading Photoplay magazine, and hearing Fanny Brice sing "My Man" on a receiver radio in town only strengthened her resolve. Letty's best friend, Cordelia Grey, insisted they would leave Union one day to pursue Letty's singing career in New York City. That day has finally come. Cordelia's courage helped Letty find her way to Manhattan—the rest is up to her.