The heroine of the story is a 9-year-old girl who is abused by her single father; the father is sporadically employed and is an alcoholic. The book describes how the girl tries to please her father, while emphasizing to young readers that the abuse is not her fault. A tutor at her school recognizes that the girl is a victim of abuse and implores her to trust her, telling her she was also abused as a child. The girl is placed in a foster home while her father receives treatment; the author points out that the girl's problems are not all solved, as she is still sometimes unhappy and unsure of her future, but the placement is a first step for both her and her father.