Her mother is dying of Alzheimer's, and Matilda wants to find a way to reverse memory destruction before the disease claims her own mind. Her goals are thrown into disarray when she meets Ashanique, a young African American girl who experiences the memories of people from the past. Skeptical but intrigued, Matilda discovers that not only is Ashanique telling the truth about past lives, but that she's hiding from a shadowy group of scientists called "Night Doctors," who want the secrets buried in her memories. Matilda and a detective named Kojo take Ashanique into hiding as they're stalked by Rade, a ruthless assassin who plans to unlock past lives and become a super being.