The harsh life of young eleven-year-old Andrew Boyd is forever altered in the summer of 1910, along with everyone he would meet from that day forth. In the lull between two wars, America wades within the shallows of prejudice and self-worth. Yet Andy serves as a mirror that unconsciously reflected people for what they truly are. Poor and hardworking, he and his mother obtain work in the industrial thriving city of Richmond, by means of the prosperously influential Stone family. Among the many that he influences, the Stone children have the greatest impact upon him. A headstrong and tempered William becomes his best friend, while ambiguous and starry-eyed Cherish forever torments his emotions. With their ever-changing world, they share many discerning firsts. As they pass through their teenage years, their conflicts amplify until eventually boiling over into the war. The story unfolds as Andy looks back upon the course of life even as he nears the end of his.