Twelve-year-old Buhlaire is completely mystified about her family's immediate past, a subject her mother, aunts and uncles never discuss. Who was her father, she wonders, and why did he leave them? When Buhlaire finds out that he's living right in the same town as she is, she sets out to find him, certain that he may hold the key that will unlock the mystery of her past. Hamilton's carefully crafted novel about a young biracial girl's search for identity is filled with imagery of frozen landscapes, winter storms and a sudden spring thaw, all of which symbolize Buhlaire's emotional state during her quest for truth. (Ages 11-14)