To eight-year-old Grace Davitt, the world is full of strange wonders.
Through the eyes of her mother, Anna--an ornithologist who speaks five
languages--their small lakeside town in Vermont becomes a glittering
mystery filled with secret tongues, monsters in the lake, and birthday
parties for the Earth. Anna's untamed spirit stands in sharp contrast to
that of Grace's father, a chemistry teacher who examines his
surroundings through the lens of rationalism and order. As Grace's
family begins to fall apart and she finds that she must choose between
her parents, her conflicting loyalties take her on a remarkable journey
that spans all corners of the country--and of her own boundless
imagination.