Summary

In Chapter 28, Maya finds it difficult to fit in at her local school. She is transferred to George Washington High, where she is one of only three black students. She struggles, but is somewhat saved by Miss Kirwin, a strong, wonderful teacher who respects her students enough to treat them as equals. She challenges them, treats all races the same, and honestly seems to care about their education. Maya, many years later, continues to visit her classroom. When Maya is fourteen, she accepts a scholarship to the California Labor School, a college for adults. She attends nightly drama and dance courses and finds herself dedicated to learning how to dance.

Chapter 29 finds Maya building a relationship with her mother's husband. Daddy Clidell is an uneducated man who has managed to become highly successful in real estate. He teaches Maya to play cards...