Nissa's life has never been perfect. Living in the small town of Harper, Louisiana with a mama as free-spirited as hers has led to lots of gossipy small talk and mean rumors. But now Mama is gone, and all the townsfolk can talk about is who she might have run off with.Nissa's memories of the Sundays her mama would come home smelling of sawdust lead her to suspect some of the rumors could be true. Did her Mama go away with The Sawdust Man? And if so, does it mean she's never coming back?

It's been two years since Mama left, and Nissa still misses her every single day. Papa has remarried, and though Nissa tries to get along with Lara, her new stepmother, they just don't feel like a family to her. So when Mama shows up again suddenly, asking Nissa to come and stay with her in Chicago for a while, Nissa knows she should be overjoyed. Instead she feels confused. She's never really been away from the small town of Harper, Louisiana before, and life in Chicago turns out to be messy, exciting and scary all at once. Where does Nissa belong?

Nissa Bergen, whom readers met in Nissa's Place, is growing up, and the changes in her life are mirrored by the changes in her town. Can she find the strength to face this strange new world?