A thirteen-year-old autistic girl and her mother describe through poetry and prose her struggles with autism and her attempts to live life to the fullest despite her diagnosis.

Hope: the quiet miracle of "how people" -- Autism: we all fight a battle -- Preschool: buried treasures -- Wall Street and autism: living in two worlds -- Poetry: on her own terms -- Elementary school: looking for ability, not disability -- Community: a little help from my friends -- Nature: listening to trees in Harvard Yard -- Hopes and dreams: relentless parenting -- Middle school: be flexible -- Families: we all have our stories -- Suffering: a view from Tibet -- God: learning each other -- Healing: a wing and a prayer -- Joy: the secret of how.