When her family first moved to Holden Beach, Hallie ached to be accepted by the popular girls in her class. They all had boyfriends, good figures and a sophistication that was new and inviting. But when these girls are cruel to Hallie, she heads straight for home and finds that her friendship with her younger brother Mickey and the games they play down on the beach help her to forget her problems. It is only when events take a heartbreaking turn that she is brought face to face with a much deeper reality.

Mary Pope Osborne's fiercely moving first story of a girl hurt by personal tragedy will have a profound effect on many readers and remain with them for a long time.