This is one a series of original stories designed for the 12 to 16 age-group. All the stories have a strong African flavour. 'Our mother has been gone now for a long time. It's hard to remember anything about her except her name, which is Thandi Modiba.' Serena runs away to Johannesburg, where the streets are like dongas that the light cannot reach. She is looking for her mother, and her search involves her in the lives of the many people she meets. There is Jane, a white hobo, Sipho and the Cool Blue Gang, and the notorious Beauty Mangele, who holds the key to the mystery of her mother's disappearance. Johannesburg is frightening and exciting. Serena confronts the harshness of city life, and learns about true fear and true courage.