An innocent man fresh from prison for murder meets an innocent girl with the worst reputation in town. For true love to find its path, they need a miracle or a little magic. Luckily, Mrs. Fay Marraine swoops into the small Texas town of Idalou, (Charmante, n'est pas?) and announces she plans to write a book about life in the small dusty town.
Mrs. Fay discovers the townsfolk more than willing to talk about each other and give delicious hints about themselves. She provides the means to bring the two young people together, but of course, the road to true love is never smooth.