Four months ago Patrick Devereaux's little brother, Andrew, was struck down and killed by a car. Unable to express his grief, twelve-year-old Patrick is caught in a merry-go-round of guilt and denial. Then the eccentric Petersons move in next door. Twelve-year-old Gillian, a budding carpenter, is angry about leaving her best friend behind. Sarah, her nine-year-old sister, uses theatrics to deal with being in the middle. Their brother Neil, a lonely five year old, plays with imaginary buffaloes and a baby rabbit named Sparky. With dogged persistence, the Petersons set about to make hostile Patrick their new best friend. And Patrick begins, finally, to heal.