Thirteen-year-old Sal, traveling with her grandparents from Ohio to Idaho in search of her missing mother, entertains them with the story of her friend Phoebe whose mother also left, unwittingly revealing the truth about her own relationship with her mom.
Thirteen-year-old Mary Lou grows up considerably during the summer while learning about romance, homesickness, death, and her cousin's search for his biological father.
Thirteen-year-old Zinnia Taylor uncovers family secrets and self truths while clearing a mysterious settler trail that begins on her family's farm in Kentucky.