When Allison tries on the red kimono her grandmother has sent her, she
is suddenly aware that she resembles her favorite doll more than she
does her mother and father. When her parents try to explain that she is
adopted, her world becomes an uncomfortable place. She becomes angry and
withdrawn. She wonders why she was given up, what her real name is, and
whether other children have parents in faraway countries. Allison's doll
becomes her only solace until she finds a stray cat in the garden and
learns the true meaning of adoption and parental love.