During one long summer Ellen Fremedon decides to write a novel. Her small village, Partridge Cove, is full of interesting people to write about. There's Larry, the librarian who let her photocopy her sneakers, and crotchety old Mr. Floyd, the shopkeeper with an insult for every customer. There's also Ellen's family: her philosopher father; her mother who suffers from multiple sclerosis; the twins, who thrive on making her life miserable; her opinionated grandmother; and her grandmother's boyfriend, who has charmed everyone except Ellen with his good manners and fancy car. With the help of her friend Jenny, Ellen realizes there's plenty of mystery and intrigue in town to create a plot for her novel. Why did the loathsome new neighbors purchase the house next door? Who will benefit from the housing development being built right on top of the village's aquifer? But just when Ellen's story gets going, her novel must take a back seat to real life when life suddenly becomes very complicated and very personal.