Slowly she raised her hand to touch the white crescent on the horse's forehead...what happened next changed the events in the life of 12-year-old Mandy Hawkins. Because her parents are divorced, Mandy decides to spend the whole summer with her dad, who lives on a small ranch in Kennewick, Washington. The minute she gets there he surprises her with a gift of a beautiful, brown mare named Close. Her touch of the crescent on its forehead causes an almost magical, zing-like connection between herself and Close, and she wonders how this special gift is to be used. She soon discovers Close's gift can also heal. Mandy keeps the secret to herself until Joe-Many-Horses, a Yakama Indian, shares with her what she must do with this knowledge. An opportunity occurs when her friend Maria sadly tells her about her brother's illness, which could keep him from trying out for the high school's baseball team. Meanwhile, others have their eye on Mandy's horse for different reasons. On a full moon night, Mandy and her dad return home to discover Close missing from the pasture. Frantic to find her horse, she helps her dad and Joe-Many-Horses discover clues that might find her horse. The night is filled with fear and hope as Mandy also learns new things about herself.