Ward's novel addresses themes of identity, family, and heritage through the eyes of 13-year-old Jojo and his mother, Leonie.
Jojo comes from a mixed-race family, and his parents are not always present in his life. He and his young sister search for a sense of home, intimacy, and belonging wherever they can.
Sometimes that means toughing out the hard times with their mother, who frequently uses drugs. At other times it means finding refuge in a kindly grandfather.
The resulting story lays bare the struggles of figuring out who you are in a fractured world — one in which voices of the past remain real and present.