Thirteen-year-old Delrita, whose unhappy life has caused her to hide from the world, loves her uncle Punky but sometimes feels ashamed of his behavior because he has Down's syndrome.

Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. 13-year-old glory thinks that her new-found friend, Marvalene, has the most exciting life with the carnival. Glory and Marvalene both think their lives should be different until they discover a secret from the past that changes everything.