This is the story of Adelaide Buchwald whose world was turned upside down when her younger brother became addicted to drugs and nearly died from an overdose. The costs of his treatment and therapy used up most of her parent's savings. Her father gets a teaching job in a boarding school and Adelaide goes with him. The story begins as school has finished for the summer and Adelaide has a job walking the dogs of staff on holiday. She is very unhappy as her boyfriend has broken up with her despite their plan to spend the holidays together. The book is a little confusing as it explores how different Adelaide's life could turn out in different worlds. This leads to a lot of repetition as scenes are replayed with varying outcomes.