Joy sends her son Wes—who'll grow up to be the author Wes Moore—to a private school as she's concerned about the poor state of the public school system. Joy toils away at several jobs, working every hour God sends to give Wes the best possible education. Though Wes is now able to go to a good school, there are downsides to the new arrangement. For one thing, he feels caught between two worlds. He's considered too rich by the other black kids in the neighborhood, but also too poor by the white kids at school. In fact, Wes is one of only two black kids at his new school, the other one being Justin. The two boys form a close bond, drawn together by their shared racial heritage and also by the fact that they live near to each other.