Delphine is one grown up eleven year old. Between helping out her grandmother, Big Ma, and father, Pa, around the house and looking after her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, she has little time to pause to think about just how grown up she is. So, her mother, Cecile, who left New York for California not long after Fern was born, hardly ever crosses her mind. That is, until Pa decides that the girls need to pay their mother a visit.
Each girl has a different idea of the mother they will find, but Delphine, having the most memory of Cecile: writing poetry on the walls, ignoring her, mumbling to herself; has the lowest expectations. All Delphine cares about is getting her sisters back in one piece without making an embarrassment of themselves.
California seems to be the land of opportunity with Disney Land, sunny weather and movie stars, but Cecile hardly gives the girls a glance upon their arrival and retreats to her printing press located in the kitchen they aren't allowed in. The girls spend the first two weeks going to the Black Panther's hub for breakfast and "school," which consists of filling the children's minds with black power and rising up against the man.
Delphine isn't so sure about these ideas, but knows they have to find food somewhere, so she makes the most of it. Determined to make the most of the situation, she takes the girls to see the Golden Gate Bridge and Chinatown three weeks in. After a day of fortune cookies and fun the girls make their way back to the house to find Cecile and two black panthers with their hands cuffed behind their backs and being hauled away by the police.
After a night alone the girls are looked after by people from the club. After her release, Cecile finally gives Delphine some idea of why she left and makes it much easier for her to leave California and return to New York.
This sobering children's novel reminds us that racism, poverty, ignorance were and still are an issue that not only affects adults, but children.
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