Based on a true story, this coming-of-age novel is set in the 1930s during the Great Depression. When Priscilla Bailey's family moves to a small town in California so her father can take a job with the WPA, Priscilla dreams her life will change. Soon the days of living in a frigid tent in the winter or in a car beside the road will be gone. However, the ravages of the past have marked her family. Her mother, obsessed with her own abusive childhood, is unable to show the kindness or provide the love Priscilla needs. Her father is still grieving over the death of Priscilla's brother. Priscilla hopes to be able to find some small measure of dignity in her new home. She hopes for a friend. But even Priscilla cannot imagine how her life will change, how all their lives will change, with the unbelievable gift of a loving dog.