Motivated by insatiable curiosity and undaunted by rules, young Kate MacCallum entertains herself in a 1950's world void of television, computers, smart phones or apps. Captivated by her heroes, she envies Huck Finn's freedom and Amelia Earhart's independence. Always looming over Kate's ideas and forbidden plans is the promise of stinging pain from her mother's red plastic belt if her plots fail and she is caught. Mentally, Kate puts her schemes on one tray of the Scales of Justice; on the other she coils the red belt covered with small holes. If Kate's plans outweigh the belt, she proceeds; if they are not worth the guaranteed spanking, she abandons them. When Kate wakes to bloodcurdling screams from the bed next to hers, she discovers a family skeleton; when she wakes to her own terrifying nightmares, she breaks a promise and reveals a horrific secret. Kate reads books and body language. She questions religion, hypocrisy, and authority, and learns about murder, incest, and decapitation. Hell-and-damnation preachers have left Kate uncertain about the church and God, and first kisses have left her puzzled about unfamiliar stirrings of sexual feelings. Ever curious, Kate pressures her mother to explain unfamiliar terms such as shock treatments, falsies, and vagina. Mysteries and the long-awaited freedom of the adult world beckon Kate as surely as the Mississippi River called to Huck Finn and the wide blue skies lured Amelia Earhart. With equal parts of reluctance and eagerness, Kate leaves behind childhood games and sets foot on the inescapable path to womanhood. An excerpt from "Suddenly, a trap door in the rock wall flew open. A huge, winged, fire-breathing dragon shot up and hovered over her. His eyes blazed, wild and bloodshot, and a crusty forked tongue darted in and out between shooting flames. Gray smoke rushed from his flaring nostrils, and scabby, dirty paws, tipped with thick, yellowed talons, came straight toward her face. Kate screamed and screamed. 'Wake up! Sit up right now! Wake up!' Her mother's face replaced the dragon's head, and the room's overhead light replaced the fire and smoke. Her chest heaved and her heart pounded. Cautiously, she sat up and looked around. Gone were the scaly reptile, the block wall, her dad, and the sidewalk. She was in her bedroom, in her bed, and she was eleven years old, not seven. 'All right, Kate. You're going to tell me-this minute-what's bothering you. This is the fifth night in a row you've had a nightmare. When you tell me what's wrong, they'll stop.' All week, Kate had held back. She didn't want to break her promise, but she hated the horrible nightmares. Maybe if she told, her mother could fix the problem and help Lucy. 'Talk to me. What is it?' Kate knew her mom was out of patience. 'Well . . .' She started, then stopped. 'You told us we shouldn't break promises, and I promised.' Her mother used her no-nonsense voice. 'Sometimes, we have to break promises. When they cover up secrets that are so bad they cause nightmares night after night, they should be broken. Then the problem can be fixed. Is that the kind of promise you made? One that covers bad secrets?' Kate nodded."