Reeling from the autumn tragedy that changed his life forever at the close of FallGently, Buddy Williams yearns even more for the idyllic life he relished in SummerWild. Although still devastated, Buddy agrees to return to school, only to realize that not much has changed between the eleven year-old and his menacing teacher, Miss Ruby. To make matters worse, one-time ally Mr. "Army" Armitage, the school principal, seems to have run out of sympathy for Buddy's plight.
Feeling adrift, Buddy sets out to find a better balance, but is instead vexed by one error in judgement after another, the consequences of which threaten both harmony at home and his bond with best friends, Riel and Mokey.
Will faith be salvation? Will Native teenager Joe Starblanket be able to help stop the tailspin into more serious bad behaviour? Might the blizzards of winter bring a lasting chill to Buddy's once openly-amiable innocence?
