Since her father remarried, Nissa feels like a stranger in her own home. When her new stepmother moves in and rearranges everything, it's almost as if her free-spirited mother never even lived there. Hoping to restore the life she knew, Nissa accepts an invitation from her mother and moves to Chicago.

But life in the big city is overwhelming, and Nissa misses her home and her father. She's thrilled to help her mother sew costumes and plant a rooftop flower garden, but how can she fit in when people talk so fast and don't even care to wish her a good day? After a revelation in the Chicago library, the willful Nissa discovers a way to stake her independence and find her place in her family and life in Louisiana.

Told with the lyricism that marked The Year of the Sawdust Man, Nissa's Place is a beautiful continuation of Nissa's story. Once you meet Nissa Bergen, you'll never forget her.