Casey's been waiting her whole twelve years for her gambler father to "hit it big." When her father ends up in the hospital, it looks like she will wait forever. Sent to live with her grandmother, Paw-Paw, in San Francisco's Chinatown, Casey just doesn't fit in at home, at school or anywhere. Then Paw-Paw tells her stories about the mother she never knew, about the Owl Spirit that guides their family, and about her true Chinese name. As Casey listens to Paw-Paw, her cultural identity and sense of belonging grow. Renewed and strengthened, she takes her first steps toward adulthood. Set in the 1960's, this vivid portrayal of Chinatown blends historical fact and folklore to create a coming-of-age story rich with insight into Chinese and Chinese American cultures.

Twelve-year-old Casey is waiting for the day that Barney, her father, hits it big -- 'cause when that horse comes in, he tells her, it's the penthouse suite. But then hr ends up in the hospital, and Casey is sent to Chinatown to live with her grandmother, Paw-Paw. Now the waiting seems longer than ever.

Casey feels lost in Chinatown. She's not prepared for the Chinese school, the noisy crowds, missing her father. But Paw-Paw tells her about the mother Casey never knew, and about her family's owl charm and her true Chinese name. And Casey at last begins to understand that this -- Paw-Paw's Chinatown home, her parents' home -- is her home,too.