M.E. Kerr was born on May 27, 1927 as Marijane Agnes Meaker in Auburn, NY. During her prolific writing career she has published under the pseudonyms of M.E.Kerr, Ann Aldrich, Mary James and Vin Packer. At present she is a member of PEN, Authors League of America and Society of Children's Book Writers. M.E. Kerr is the winner of the 1993 Margaret Edwards Award for her lifetime achievement in writing books for young adults. She was described by The New York Times Book Review as "one of the grand masters of young adult fiction."

Sabra St. Amour, reluctant teenage soap opera star, is spending the summer in the Hamptons with her domineering mother, recuperating from an ulcer and a nervous breakdown. Walking on the beach one day, Sabra meets Wally Witherspoon, son of the local undertaker, and his best friend Charlie. Wally has problems of his own, including being engaged to a girl he doesn't love while still pining for his ex, and his father's insistence that he follow him into the family business, which Wally detests. Charlie has just come out of the closet, which earned him a broken nose, care of his father. As the lives of these three teenagers collide over the course of one memorable summer, they are forced to choose between the future their parents want for them, and the life they want for themselves.