Although Tisha has been a lot of things throughout her forty years-one of the only constants was being Zeke Parker Jr. 's first born. Pop Smoke: A Memoir of Family and Courage explores the navigation of life through the lens of a young girl, sibling, daughter, mother and a combat soldier while fully embarking upon the strength of familial ties; a bittersweet nostalgia over the "old house" that raised her; complicated admiration and disappointment in family; her yearning for an artistic passion of her own; and her boredom that escalated to anxiety, and fear during her Army years. Tisha is finally ready to say goodbye to it all and pop smoke.