Rae is ten years old, and life with her mother has taught her the world is not her friend. Now suddenly her mum is gone and Rae is alone, except for her dog Splinter. Rae can do a lot of things pretty well for a kid. She can shop and cook a little and keep the front yard neat enough that the neighbours won''t get curious. But she is haunted by the shadow of a terrible secret. Lettie, the old woman who lives next door, might know more about Rae than she lets on - but she has her own reasons for keeping the world at arm''s length.