Thirteen-year-old Dicey Tillerman, already responsible beyond her years, is thrust into a position of leadership when she and her three younger siblings are abandoned in a parking lot by her mentally ill mother. Rather than wait indefinitely for their mother to return, or risk separation at the hands of Child Services, Dicey decides that the children should attempt to reach their Aunt Cilla's house – more than 100 miles away. Carrying little money, and armed only with a fearless protective instinct, Dicey's journey begins. Although it is considered realistic fiction of the 1980's, the story of the Tillerman's and their relatives has timeless appeal.
