In the depths of the Depression, a young girl goes to live in the country Although the Depression has destroyed Detroit's economy, Elsa cannot imagine living anywhere else. She loves her friends, her family, and the hustle and bustle of the great industrial city. But when a mysterious illness forces her to miss half of fifth grade, her parents take drastic action and send her to stay with her grandmama to heal. Not just for a week. Not just for a month. For the entire summer. Elsa is frightened of her stern German grandmother and doesn't think she could ever feel at home in the peaceful Michigan countryside. The nights are too quiet and the days are too boring, and she has nothing to amuse herself with except her journal. But as the Lake Huron summer wears on, Elsa learns to take joy in empty places and live for the beauty of nature.