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Newly-emancipated Halle decides to leave the plantation in search of her parents. Aurelia, whose privileged life was ravaged by the Civil War, wants to find her brother, a soldier who fought with the Union army. Both are plotting their trip North when their paths cross. Realizing it would be safer to travel together, they become unlikely travel companions. This verse novel, set in 1865, introduces young adult readers to post-Civil War America through the eyes of these two protagonists.
The story of The Opening Sky's creation is as unlikely as the friendship the book depicts. Writer Sherman, who is African-American, and co-author Kelly Hollman , who is white, each took responsibility for ensuring the authenticity of their character's voice. Though writing separately, they were able to create a seamless novel-in-verse.