When Runt's mother dies, he's sent to live with his older sister Helen, whom he hasn't seen in years, not since she ran away. Avoiding the dreary trailer he now shares with Helen and her creepy boyfriend Cole, Runt spends his days rambling around his new town, especially the local cemetery. There he meets Mitch, a precocious boy in a wheelchair who's battling cancer. The two lonely boys become fast friends, but as their friendship deepens, each faces a powerful crisis. As Runt and Mitch struggle with the harsh realities of poverty, abuse, and illness, each looks to the other for comfort and courage. Then, Helen's problems complicate things even further. Can Runt help them both, and himself, too? The empathy, insight, and finely drawn characters seen in V. M. Caldwell's first two novels are in full view in this moving story of a young boy's attempts to create a better life for himself and those around him.