Hattie Owen prefers to be steeped in the familiarity of her small-town life rather than think about the vast world beyond her own. During the summer that Hattie turns 12, her world is turned upside down with the startling arrival of an uncle no one has ever spoken about.
While helping police officers Esther and Lon investigate a suspicious death at her group home, nineteen-year-old Sal Miyake, who is mentally challenged, gains insights into herself and makes new friends.