In Cook's Cove, a small outport village on the west coast of Newfoundland, summers are short but sweet, and outspoken 15-year-old Melinda expects this one to be no different. She has big plans with her cousins, good girl Rebecca and studious Kate. The girls are like sisters, watching out for each other and not letting anything come between them -- at least until a stranger comes to the village and invites Rebecca to go to Boston to develop her artistic talent.When Rebecca's Aunt Grace forbids this trip, Melinda and the girls try to discover why, triggering a series of increasingly troubling discoveries and difficult choices. In the end Melinda makes a choice that is shocking yet strangely logical as she finds herself the keeper of the family secrets.Mary Sheppard's acclaimed first novel is based in part on her memories of growing up in a remote community much like Cook's Cove, where hardship must be endured and courage is crucial to survival.