Plot:Charles McCarter and his wife Helen are about to celebrate their 18th-wedding anniversary when Helen comes home to find her clothes packed up in a U-Haul van parked in the driveway. Charles is divorcing Her. Helen moves in with her grandmother Madea, an old woman who doesn't take any lip from anyone. Madea helps Helen through these tough times by showing her what is really important in life.

Plot:About existence from the perspective of 20 nameless black females. Each of the women portray one of the characters represented in the collection of twenty poems, revealing different issues that impact women in general and women of color in particular.