Meridian is the story of Meridian Hill, a black student who joins the Civil Rights Movement and enters a tumultuous romance with another member of the cause. Her lover, Truman Held, is mercurial in his commitment both to the movement and to Meridian. Meridian herself remains steadfast even through enduring an abortion and the messy end of her relationship with Truman as he leaves in pursuit of financial success and a romance with a white woman. The novel deals with the place of women in the Civil Rights struggle.