In the small town of Sintiempo in Arizona, in the hot summers of 1942 and 1943, young Millie Delaney is the solitary teacher at the tiny local school. There are only a few students, most of them just biding their time before they leave. The girls most likely will marry; the boys will probably be swallowed up by the town's main employer, the marble mine. Teaching in these circumstances is not very inspiring work, but Millie is used to the dullness,...