When Dolly Baker was three years old, she found herself on a plane to Kentucky with her two sisters and a social worker. Even though their mother was still alive, the siblings had been adopted by a grandmother. Baker missed her mother's presence deeply, and for years, she struggled with understanding her life's true purpose.

In The Other Side of the Sun, Baker shares her story, the story of a young black girl trying to grow, heal, and learn to love herself. She chronicles the many obstacles she faced throughout her life including feelings of abandonment and loss, a string of failed relationships, and addiction to alcohol. 

In this memoir, Baker tells how the pain she endured was intended to help her grow and to learn to make wiser decisions from her bad examples.