After the death of her mother, Sara moves to the South Side of Chicago to live with her father and gets transferred to a majority-black school. Her life takes a turn for the better when befriends Chenille and her brother Derek, who helps her with her dancing skills.

A day in the life of a Chicago cab driver is examined as he picks up fares from the good and bad parts of the city and emotionally connects to many of his passengers.

Harold Crick is a lonely IRS agent whose mundane existence is transformed when he hears a mysterious voice narrating his life.

When Sophie's son, Garrett, develops a mysterious illness, she embarks on a search for answers. This leads her into the controversial world of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) where a sociopolitical battle rages between organic farmers and big biotech corporations. As her desperation grows, so too does her quest for knowledge. And the deeper she goes, a more heightened sense of danger develops that preys on her state of mind, as she attempts to discover the root cause of her son's illness.

A Chicago weather man, separated from his wife and children, debates whether professional and personal success are mutually exclusive.

Khaila Richards, a crack-addicted single mother, accidentally leaves her baby in a dumpster while high and returns the next day in a panic to find he is missing. In reality, the baby has been adopted by a warm-hearted social worker, Margaret Lewin, and her husband, Charles. Years later, Khaila has gone through rehab and holds a steady job. After learning that her child is still alive, she challenges Margaret for the custody.

Best friends Malik and Eric discover the joys and hardships of growing up in the sprawling Cabrini-Green public housing complex in 1992 Chicago.