As China Barston grows up in New Berry, Illinois, during the 1980s, she never wants for anything, although she is one of six children being raised by a single mother. Her mother does her best to keep the neighborhood's bad influences away from China, but her efforts go unheeded when the inklings of first love knock at China's adolescent door in the form of Darren Rogers, also known as Crawl. After China meets a new best friend, Macon, she also tries to keep China away from Crawl. But when China needs an escort to her high school pageant, she finally succumbs to her attraction and asks Crawl--a decision that eventually leads her to unwittingly become involved in a horrific crime with consequences that follow her into adulthood. It is not until she graduates from college and marries that her past rises up to confront her again. As she tries to cover up past mistakes, she seems to create an even bigger mess as long-held secrets are revealed. Unchanging Whys shares the compelling tale of an African-American girl's coming-of-age journey as she learns that loving the wrong man can sometimes come with life-changing repercussions.