This graphic novel adaptation brings to life the Newbery Honor story of eleven-year-old Delphine and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, as they spend a pivotal summer in Oakland, California, in 1968. Sent to live with their estranged mother, a poet and activist involved with the Black Panther Party, the girls are quickly enrolled in a local summer camp run by the organization. The story explores themes of family, identity, social justice, and resilience through the eyes of the sisters as they grapple with their mother's emotional distance and immerse themselves in a vibrant, politically charged community. It's a powerful look at a significant historical period and the complexities of growing up.
In the summer of 1968, after traveling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters arrive to a cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp.