The time is 1967, and the country is in the midst of the civil rights movement and political chaos—much like today. Although Sandy Forte is only twelve, she has matured far beyond her years, having to grow up fast to navigate the mean streets of Chicago. She lives in a family consisting of five siblings and two seriously maladjusted parents. The only stabilizing force in her life has been spending the summers with her grandmother, Minnie Bell, in her tiny cottage in Hooks, Texas. Every year, she has looked forward to the times when her mother has sent her and her big sister Glory by train to stay there for the summer. But this time her stepfather, a gambler named Charlie Cole, has a brilliant idea. While driving to the local laundromat, he decides they should all go to visit Grandma Minnie Bell in his newly won car. However, when Sandy and her family finally arrive, she has no idea she’s about to experience a summer filled with strange, scary, dangerous, and exciting adventures that changes her life forever. She even finds herself the object of affection of not one, but two handsome boys who compete relentlessly for her attention.