One of twelve siblings growing up in Depression-era Baltimore, Edith
isn't quite sure of who she is. Between working at her father's diner,
taking care of her younger siblings, and living in the shadow of her
more mature sisters, she feels lost in a sea of siblings. When a kind
teacher encourages Edith to be a teacher herself one day, Edith sees
prospects for a future all her own. Full of joy, pain, humor, and
sadness, this novel in verse is an enduring portrait of one family's
pursuit of the American dream.