"At 11, Emma has a mind like a steel trap and her heart set on becoming a lawyer, much to the disgust of Mr. Sheridan, himself an attorney, who favors Willie [her brother] for such a profession. But Willie yearns to dance . . . The clashes begin and grow in intensity until an Armageddon of sorts [occurs] between Willie, Emma, and their father."--"Booklist""" "This book encompasses black rights, women's rights, children's rights, interfamily relations as well as obesity. It sounds like heavy going, but Louise Fitzhugh has put it all into a plot that starts off in high gear and never lets up until you reach the end. Her characters absorb you. It's a masterful job."--"The Boston Globe"
"The dialogue is flawless, the antics are riotous, it's funny, it's sad, it makes you mad, it makes you laugh, it makes you "think"."--"West Coast Review of Books"