A young girl s astonishing， poignant first look into the turbulent heart of things"I had in my care that summer four dogs， three cats， the Moran kids， Daisy， my eight-year-old cousin， and Flora， the toddler child of a local artist. There was also， for a while， a litter of wild rabbits， three of them， that had been left under our back steps.... "Alice McDermott s haunting and enchanting new work of fiction--her first since the bestselling Charming Billy， winner of the 1998 National Book Award--is narrated by a woman who was born beautiful. Her parents decided that her best chance in life was to marry a wealthy man， so she was raised on the east end of Long Island， among the country houses of the rich. On the cusp of fifteen， she is the town s most sought-after babysitter--cheerful， beloved， a wonder with children and animals， but also a solitary soul with an already complex understanding of human nature--when her favorite cousin， Daisy， comes to spend the summer. The narrator s witty， piquant， deeply etched evocation of all that was really transpiring under the surface during that seemingly idyllic season gives her wry tale--infused with suppressed passion， disappointment， and enduring hope--its remarkable vividness and impact. Once again， Alice McDermott explores the mysterious depths of what seems like everyday life with unforgettable insight and resonant emotional power.