Qian Julie Wang is the author and subject of the memoir. At the age of seven, Qian traveled to the United States with her mother. There, she lived with her father and mother as they struggled to make a life for themselves in America. When Qian started school in New York City, she could not speak English and was full of self-doubt. Despite her hunger and impoverished home life, Qian was able to learn English and pursue academic excellence. 

Wang writes the memoir in the voice of her younger self, but also includes elements whose significance and true meaning she only recognizes in retrospect. Because Wang knows that the conclusion of Qian’s story is success as a civil rights lawyer, she can highlight those aspects of Qian’s experience that hint at this eventual conclusion—Qian’s drive and ambition—as well as those that make her eventual assent all the more extraordinary.

Qian’s mother taught Qian about the importance of duty and hard work. She was a constant figure in Qian’s childhood and her closest companion. An intelligent and creative woman, Ma Ma made ordinary tasks into games and sparked Qian’s creative imagination. Qian felt a special duty to her mother, often taking on the role of protector.