When Jackie Yvonne is born, she has no idea that she is the only thing keeping her parents sane. A recent tragedy has changed their family forever. As they settle into a new beginning in El Dorado, Arkansas, and focus on caring for little Jackie, things seem to improve for the family. Jackie is a stubborn yet happy girl who uses her imagination to play and interact with friends. As she embarks on a coming-of-age journey with optimism as her traveling companion during the 1950s, Jackies parents eventually divorce and her mother remarries. When chasing the American Dream becomes a way of life, Jackie moves with her parents into a new home in a new town or state every year. But it is not until the innocence of the era finally gives way to reality with her first husband and the arrival of her first born that Jackie learns that guts and determination are the true necessities of life. In this historical tale, a girl blossoms into a young woman during 1950s California and discovers that loss and love are the two main ingredients of a full life.