Glimmer is a young woman's account of being forced to define her identity, both for the world and for herself. Her story is laced with humor; Sage has an appealing, sardonic take on her confrontation with black student union delegates, and the proposition from girls representing the gay and lesbian alliance. But those encounters are preludes to other pressures, which prove insurmountable.

And so Sage withdraws. From old letters and photographs, she begins reconstructing her family history - especially her parents' biracial marriage during the sixties in the South and the tensions that led her father to leave. She is the youngest of five children, the only one to look black like their father, and the only one who's never met him. Her longing for him is intense, and she dreams of meeting him, of being claimed by him.

Sage's rich imagination bolsters her in her struggle to find herself amid racial and sexual emblems, a family legacy of loyalty and secrecy, and her own fears. Hers is a journey from shyness to madness, and finally, to understanding. And her ironic, winning sincerity entices us to accompany her.