Maddie Marie Miller is a smart, compassionate ten-year-old born between two sets of athletic twin brothers, but she doesn't like to play sports. She enjoys writing, seashell collecting, and family trips to the beach. Imagine the magic of seeing sea turtles hatching, telling ghost stories in the dark, or hearing ghost crabs crawling on your tent at night while camping at the beach, and you'll find yourself in the middle of Maddie's world. She has one big problem-her daddy hates her. When her fifth grade class participates in an adopt-a-grandparent program, Maddie chooses a veteran who lost both legs and one arm in the Vietnam War. Any mention of that war at home angers her daddy, and Maddie wants to know why. Her persistence sets life-altering events into motion. A medical emergency threatens the lives of two people she loves and causes discord in her family. Then a family vacation brings Maddie and her daddy face-to-face with the secret that has haunted him for more than 45 years. Maddie finds herself caught in the middle of everything.