That Thing that Happened in the Delta

Mississippi, 1955. A cotton farmer. A movie star. The same face.

When Ruby Mathis drives a truckload of cotton bales to a film set in the Mississippi Delta, she's just trying to keep her dying farm alive. But a case of mistaken identity pulls her into the strange, bright world of a Hollywood production - and into an arrangement with the film's leading lady that could save them both or ruin them entirely.

Vivian Langley is beautiful, famous, and about to become the most controversial actress in America. Ruby is broke, stubborn, and the best thing that's ever happened to a camera without knowing it. When they discover they share the same face, a plan takes shape: Ruby will stand in for the scenes Vivian can't afford to be seen in. Vivian will stand in for the life Ruby can't afford to miss.

One weekend. Two women. A wedding, a porch swing, and the kind of performance that nobody was supposed to see.

Inspired by the real-life filming of Baby Doll in the Mississippi Delta, That Thing That Happened in the Delta is a story about identity, art, and the extraordinary things ordinary people do when no one's watching.