Alice Luckett is only nine years old when her father, Len, commits suicide. Her mother disappeared several months before, so Alice goes to live with her grandparents, Edith and Monty. They love her dearly but are often too preoccupied to have time for poor Alice. Her only real pleasure comes from the hours she spends next door with Nell Ainslie and her handsome son Eric. Slowly but surely, Alice comes to terms with her loss. But when Uncle Frank gets involved in the bakery business where she works, a chilling memory from the night of Len's death comes back to haunt her. And a shocking revelation changes life for the whole family...