From attending the circus with her family to surviving the death of her beloved collie, the daily life of Valena is drawn here with warmth and quiet humor. Hamilton has deftly woven together moments in time - the present, the past, and hopes for the future - in this gathering of time pieces that move backward and forward. Atrfully quilted together, thes epieces create a picture of family, schoolteachers, neighbors (good and bad), and a history of escaped slavery, as well as the strabds of racism that seemingly permeate everything - both directly and indirectly.
