When his younger sister Sophie has a stroke, twelve-year-old Tom feels jealous and guilty, impatient and scared all at the same time. His mate Ash is the only one that seems to understand. But Ash has problems of his own. His Dad has unexpectedly returned after years in and out of jail, and the fragile balance of Ash's family crumbles. Sophie believes that the willow man is magical, that he can help them all: her to walk and Ash to read. But the willow man is burnt to the ground, taking with it all her dreams. Only by helping each other can the children mend their fractured lives.