Ages 9 to 12 years. Twelve-year-old Lee Mets wants to be a writer, even though her mother tells her that good girls want to be either teachers or nurses. Growing up in the changing days of the 1960s, Lee secretly wishes that she were an orphan like her hero, Anne Shirley. When Cassandra, a real live orphan, moves in across the street, Lee is thrilled. With a name like Cassandra, she has to be interesting! Will they be kindred spirits like Anne and Diana? Or will Kathy, Lee''s ex-best friend, come between them? As Lee and Cassandra's friendship grows, Lee comes to realise that being an orphan is not as romantic as she had imagined. A tragedy in Lee's life and the truth about Cassandra's past brings the two girls closer as they go through a summer that will change both their lives.