Marcus, a nine-year-old African-American boy living in Alabama in the sixties, learns the true meaning of valentines as he is faced with whether or not to forgive his classmates and others who have hurt him and his family. His wise grandmother tells him the true story of St. Valentine, who lived out his faith by loving others with the love of Christ and who was persecuted and put to death by the Roman government. An especially tender moment occurs when Marcus’s mother and he receive a handmade valentine from his father, who has been jailed because of his nonviolent protests in support of civil rights.