Eleven-year-old Makeda June Kirkland struggles to find her place in her new school after her family moves from Maryland to New Mexico. Makeda, who is of African American decent and has been adopted into an all white family, finds herself wondering how life might be different if she were part of a family that looks like her. In the midst of it all, she must deal with her mother's recent mental health diagnosis and mood swings that come with her being bipolar.