The story begins in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as Terri and her father examine an apartment to rent; but as the story progresses, Terri remembers the long string of other places that they have lived (big cities like New York and Chicago, little towns like Hap Falls, Amberville, and Roarin) and friends who were left behind. When her father leaves a town, he just drives until another one feels right. All he needs are Terri and his toolbox. The red Pinto was the only stable thing in Terri's life, but her father's need for freedom was evident when he traded the Pinto for a camper.

Important places in Ann Arbor are the clean, but rather plain apartment, the new school where she begins to make friends, Shaundra's house with her boisterous brothers, and the telephone booth where she finally contacts her mother. Later, the scene shifts to the reunion...