Hollis Woods has been in so many foster homes she can hardly remember what a real home looks like, even when she sees it. But when Hollis is sent to Josie, an elderly artist who is quirky and affectionate and shares Hollis's artistic temperament, she remembers that home is more than a house—home is someone who makes you feel like you belong.

Then, just when she seems to have found a place to settle down, Hollis notices that Josie is growing more forgetful every day. Social Services will shuffle Hollis off to yet another foster family is they find out, and move Josie into a nursing home. But there's no way Hollis will let that happen. She's escaped the system before—and this time, she plans to take Josie with her.

With its portrayal of a resourceful 12-year-old heroine who struggles to preserve her happy memories by drawing pictures of them in her sketchbook, Patricia Reilly Giff's deftly told story strikes just the right balance between heartbreak and hope.