Toward the end of a brilliant career in 1953, Albert Einstein was as famous a media figure as he was a scholar and physicist at Princeton. A highly unlikely meeting of minds occurs when the wild-haired academic helps young Lannie, a twelve-year-old African-American girl, whose poor grades in school are due to her teacher's prejudice. In Lannie, Einstein is reminded of his own early struggles in Switzerland, his quest for intellectual freedom, and his concern for the future of democracy in his adopted America. Lannie's earnestness renews Einstein's spirit and in return, he gives Lannie an incredible gift: an awareness of her potential.