In this beautiful novel in verse, a Chinese-American girl contends
with school bullies, tries to solve the mystery of her sister's strange
illness, and finds strength and validation at the local tennis court.
Frances Chin, a 10-year old Chinese-American girl, lives in the suburbs
of Detroit with her immigrant parents and older sister, Clara. At school
Frances copes with bullies and the loneliness that comes with not quite
fitting in. At home, she feels a different kind of aloneness. Her
parents are preoccupied with work and worry about Clara, whose hair is
inexplicably falling out. But, with the help of her friend Annie,
Frances is determined to play Nancy Drew and solve the mystery of
Clara's condition. She also faces the everyday challenges and unexpected
thrills of being a tween, especially when she receives encouragement
from a tennis coach. Although she struggles to speak up, Frances's
powerful inner voice resonates in gorgeous imagery and evocative free
verse.
"Love and more love to Victoria Chang for her lyrical and gentle prose
poems that, in excavating a deep secret, usher readers beyond shame and
into the warmth of understanding." --Thanhhà Lại, New York Times
bestselling and National Book Award-winning author of Inside Out & Back
Again, and most recently Butterfly Yellow