wiedenheft

It is the summer of 1992 in small-town North Carolina. Ten-year-old Charly Harding has had a rough life. Her parents died in a car accident when she was five. She and her younger brother Matty moved three hours away to live with Granny, who is always strapped for cash. Charly shops for clothes at the Salvation Army, is bullied for being different, and struggles with anger issues.

Then the unthinkable happens. One night, their double-wide trailer catches on fire and burns to the ground. The small family moves to a dingy motel with sagging beds, scratchy sheets, and noisy neighbors. As they wait for the insurance money, Granny nearly collapses under the stress. Charly worries about Granny and wonders if they’ll ever get a new home. With her birthday looming, Charly tries to stay positive and thankful, relying on close friends for help.