'My world is a fizzling seltzer tablet dissolving rapidly in a glass. Yes, it is like that. The sky above me and the earth below me both crumble to nothingness; I am floating in space, neither here nor there. I have nothing to cling to. My life is coming apart at the seams."

Six-year-old Rebecca has a lot to deal with: her father's alcoholism destroys her parents' marriage, and she constantly changes schools as a result of her mother's instability. Both of her parents remarry, and Rebecca and her two siblings must endure one emotional upheaval after another.

As Rebecca grows older, her problems only increase. Her mother's alcoholism threatens to break the family apart, and Rebecca becomes the victim of sexual abuse. But she finds solace in school and with her best friend, D. C. Unwilling to deal with her family's problems, she buries herself in school activities and turns to food for comfort.

Her teachers are her saving grace. Through their support and friendship, Rebecca finds the strength to continue amid overwhelming adversity.