It's going to be a blisteringly hot summer and fifteen-year-old Adam has managed to get the family house by the lake all to himself. But shortly before he is due to leave, he bumps into Mary-Lou, and he invites her to come with him.

They had been great friends when they were much younger, but then her parents' marriage had collapsed.

Mary-Lou jumped out of the tallest tree, and she was left confined to a wheelchair. No-one was ever sure if it was attempted suicide or a tragic accident, and she had never been in a mood to tell them.

As Adam and Mary- Lou pick their way through this tangled and unpleasant heritage, they each encourage the other to take a more positive approach, and to look forward to the future