Kat is in a place of disconnect. She is twenty-eight years old, overweight, unhappy and afraid to take the necessary steps to free herself from an abusive marriage. Her self-confidence and zest for life have been stripped away. To help embolden Kat, her mother has given her an old, ratty skirt and an intriguing, personal journal, which reveals the secrets of several generations. How for heaven’s sake is this supposed to improve her daughter’s predicament?From the shtetls of Eastern Europe to the East End of London and onward to America, Kat learns of the travails of her ancestors as they suffered from pogroms, poverty, prejudice and their own personal failings. From these fascinating stories, she might very well find the strength and determination to regain her own sense of self-worth.