I have two lives,
One that is Indian
one that is not.

But only in one place do I have
my parents

Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she's the only Indian American student, and home, with her family and their community. But Reha's parents don't understand. She feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma. Although their names are linked—Reha means "star" and Punam means "moon"—they are a universe apart.

The Reha finds out her Amma is sick. Really sick.

Reha, who dreams of becoming a doctor even though the sight of blood makes her woozy, is determined to make her Amma well. She becomes fixated on red and white blood cells, facing her fear, and being the daughter her parents want her to be, because she has no idea how she can go on if the moon is missing from her sky.

From the dust jacket