Merci Suarez attends Seaward Pines Academy on scholarship. She may not have the fancy houses, cars or go on exotic vacations like the other students at her school but she has her family. Merci, her parents and brother live in one of three houses in a row. The others are occupied by her aunt and twin cousins and her grandparents. They all pitch in and help one another and have each other's backs. When Lolo, Merci's grandfather, starts acting strange and having a lot of mishaps, the family tries to avoid facing the truth.

This book is a marvelously spun story about growing up, family love and loyalty and adapting to the changes life brings. It was poignant and touching and a great depiction of the inevitability of growing up while those you love grow old.