Ada Ruth, Mama said. Do you know I love you more than anything in the world? Yes, ma'am, I whispered. More than rain. More than snow, Mama whispered back, they way we'd done a hundred times before. Or maybe a hundred thousand.

It's wartime, and women have to go to work while the men are off fighting. Ada Ruth's mama has a job in Chicago, and she must leave Ada Ruth and Grandma behind.

Now Ada Ruth and Grandma are missing Mama and trying to keep each other strong. But some days, it feels like nothing can fill the emptiness in their hearts. Then a surprise comes to their door and gives them something to fuss over while they wait for the letter that will say Mama's coming on home soon.

In this timeless story, Woodson's evocative text and Lewis's captivating artwork capture all that comes with missing and waiting—the sadness, the everyday living, the small surprises, and most of all, the hope.

From the dust jacket