Robin is 14 years old in early August 1995. She lives in Seoul, South Korea. Every year, she and her mother go to a new place on their summer vacation, usually in the Western Pacific. The furthest east they have been is Hawaii. This year, Robin’s mother is taking her to Alabama, though she does not explain why. Robin’s mother regularly listens to the radio show Good Morning English and insists that knowing English is helpful because many people in different countries speak it. Robin can speak rudimentary sentences but mostly finds learning English pointless. She thinks it sounds like gibberish.

Robin’s mother tells her that in Alabama they will meet her friend, Kim Minsik, and that if they get along with him they might stay longer. They meet Mr. Kim, his brother, and his sister-in-law at the airport in Huntsville, Alabama. They stay in a house with Mr. Kim’s mother and daughter, as well as Mr. Kim’s brother, wife, and three kids. Of the children, only Mr. Kim’s daughter speaks fluent Korean.

The other children are gone at school and extracurricular activities most of the day. For a week, Robin does little besides hang out alone or with the family’s outdoor dog, Barry.