Women of four generations are portrayed as 14-year-old Rainbow attempts to find hope and promise in her life. Rainbow’s mother was a child herself when she became a parent. Rainbow’s involvement with other women of differing social and economic classes helps her to figure out who she is with respect to demands on her from a foster parent, a social worker, a boyfriend and others. The syntax of Black English is used skillfully and the characterizations are splendid. (Honor Book: CCBC Straw Newbery Vote) (14 years and older)

The voice of fourteen-year-old Rainbow Jordan tells the troubled story of living with her foster mother, Aunt Josie. Her boyfriend is pushing her to sleep with him and her teachers are after her because she's not showing up for classes and she's in real danger of failing or dropping out. Meanwhile, everyone's calling to speak to her mother, and how can she tell them her mother is gone -- just plain disappeared?