In the North Carolina summer of 1967, tragedy strikes their family, so Willa Jo and Little Sister are sent to stay with their Aunt Patty and Uncle Hob while their mother tries to come to terms with their family’s loss. Now, Aunt Patty has more of a way with her garden gnomes than little girls, always concerned with the order and the rightness of a thing. This especially doesn’t sit well with Little Sister, who hasn’t said a word since her baby sister died, and plain refuses to let go of the drawing she carries with her everywhere. Luckily, Uncle Hob has a sweet, understanding way about him, and the neighbor kids, Lizzie and Isaac Fingers, are as nice as can be. Though Aunt Patty doesn’t think their family is proper enough, the girls think they’re mighty nice. And fun. And they have a cave to play in! Too bad the girls aren’t allowed.

As the days go by, Little Sister’s penchant for climbing things can’t be ignored. Aunt Patty is not fond of this—“she worries a frightful lot about the people she loves.” To help the girls gain a sense of order, and improve her standing with the Ladies’ Social League, Patty invites Lucy Wainwright, and her daughter Cynthia, over for tea. Cynthia is all shades of good and proper, on the surface, at least. Scratch that surface and you’ll see a horse of a different color. While the girls would rather spend time with the Lizzie and Isaac in their cave, Patty insists the girls take charm lessons from Lucy. With everyone’s pent-up hurt, secrets, and hard times weighing them down, it sure seems that charm is the last thing you can find around here. When Willa Jo finds a true friend in Lizzie, things start to feel like they’re easing toward normal again, at least a little.

Willa Jo finally gets a look at the drawing Little Sister is so keen on; a drawing of their baby sister in the clouds. Willa Jo now understands why Little Sister keeps climbing things—to help get near the baby, the girls take to the roof. Of course, this gives Aunt Patty half a heart attack. Much to her surprise, though, the compassion and kindness of the Fingers family help ease some of the tension. Once Patty, Hob, and the girls come to an understanding, and an end to those darn charm lessons, they can all get nearer to baby, and one step closer to fine.