"Twelve-year-old Mysti Murphy of Texas wishes she were a character in a book. If her life were fiction, she'd know how to solve her problems at school, take care of her family when her dad has to spend time in the hospital, and deal with her family's secret: that her mother is agoraphobic and never leaves the house"-- Twelve-year-old Mysti wishes she were a character in a book so she would know how to solve her problems at school, take care of her family when her dad has to spend time in the hospital, and deal with her mom's agoraphobia.