The story begins in Ohio, where Woodson tells us about the father her mother left behind. From there, Woodson and her two older siblings, an incredibly smart older sister and a silent, science-loving older brother, and mother move to South Carolina to live with her grandparents. She talks about being black in the sixties in the South and how it affected their family and even seemingly small decisions like to get lunch in town or where to sit on a bus. She tells about how the South became her home, her close relationship with "Daddy" (her grandfather), and then her mother moves her and her siblings to New York, where the kids eventually meet their new little brother. Woodson meets a lifelone friend, Maria, and she tells about the new experiences she has in New York. Throughout the book, the theme of having two homes and attempting to meld them within her runs throughout. Woodson also discusses growing up as a Jehova's witness and how the religion affected her as a young child. She tells about how she came to discover a love of writing, and how it being her own special thing gave her confidence.
I loved this book, both for being unique in its story- the story of a very young, naive "brown girl" growing up during the Civil Rights Movement, while also being of a religion that doesn't get as much play in popular culture- and for its being told entirely in verse. Woodson's verse is so simple; there aren't a lot of frilly words and superfluous poetic devices. It's simple narrative prose with enough imagery to make each poem beautiful without taking away from the overall story being told.
This was such an enjoyable book, and it was told so beautifully that I'd suggest it to anyone, not just young readers, but adults as well.
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