Set in 1968, following the death of her best friend, Meryl Lee Kowalski goes off to St. Elene’s Preparatory Academy for Girls. Here she struggles to fit in with her wealthy, tight-knit classmates, with grief heavy on her heart. With pressure from her instructors to work toward’s their “Accomplishment” for the year. Feeling inferior in all things, Meryl Lee can’t imagine what her Accomplishment will be.

In a sub-plot, Matt Coffin, seemingly family-less, is on the run from thugs and needs a friend, too. Their lives intertwine as they both search for meaning in their lives in this coming-of-age story, rich with lyrical writing, references to literary works and humor, this book would make a great read-aloud.