Lucky lives in Hard Pan, a small desert town, with her foster mother Brigitte. Lucky's mother died suddenly when she stepped on an electrical wire and Brigitte came from France to take care of Lucky. Brigitte was Lucky's father's first wife and he called her to ask if she would come to take care of Lucky.
Lucky spends her free time eavesdropping on the adult groups who are trying to overcome addictions. She overhears them talking about how they hit "rock bottom" and then they found their "higher power", so she gets the idea that she also needs to find her higher power. Lucky is also worried that her foster mother will go back to France and leave her like everyone else in her life has. She thinks that finding her higher power might make Brigitte want to stay.
She decides to run away and discovers that she should deal with her mother's death. This book deserved the Newberry Medal that it received and I would love to read more books written by Susan Patron
