Author Hope Brooks writes the memoir of her life and the challenges she has had to face and conquer, beginning with a traumatic childhood of sexual abuse. She grows up and marries a man diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He abandons her and their two children. Striving to survive on food stamps, she secures a teaching job. With her success and feeling of accomplishment, she finds strength and moves on in life. Still striving to have a family, she meets Ray. They marry and create a blended family with their four children, not realizing that the path ahead would not be easy. Hope gives the message to her readers that no matter what comes our way, we must never give up. While dealing with her personal life throughout the pages, she also must confront the many crises in her job as a New York City teacher.