"Eleven-year-old Lisa becomes her mother's primary support when they face the prospect of homelessness. As Dee, a low-income single mother becomes increasingly disabled by the demons of her own childhood of neglect and abuse, Lisa quickly assumes the role of an adult in an attempt to keep them both alive. At one point in their years-long trajectory of homelessness and serial evictions, "Dee and Tiny" become underground celebrities, squatting in storefronts and performing the "art of homelessness." Ultimately, they go on to become tireless advocates for the empowerment of poor people everywhere. Their story, filled with black humor and incisive analysis, illuminates the roots of poverty, the criminalization of poor families and their struggle for survival."--Jacket.