Kate Burns has heard of the magical Ferris Beach all her life, but it's always seemed like an unreachable dream for her, trapped with her demanding mother and eccentric father. But then Misty moves to town, from Ferris Beach, no less. She and her family are everything Kate wants to be -- daring, outrageous, and fun. The two girls grow up together, sharing secrets until a fateful Fourth of July when Kate discovers that life's little surprises can't always be ignored and that the hard parts don't get better, just easier to live with . . .