The book presents in five parts. In part one, Jane is going through the motions, but not exactly living life. Her daughter suffers from a break with reality, and Jane is forced to examine her own relationship with reality. Humor is used throughout to soften the hard truths she discovers about herself and her interpretations of race, class, and gender. In parts two and three, she remembers who she used to be. In parts four and five, she uncovers who she would like to become.