Matts family moves from Pittsburgh to Dogwood, West Virginia, where his father steps into the pulpit of a church under the thumb of town leader Basil Blackwood. A fish out of water, Matt is relieved to forge a fast bond with two unlikely friends: Dickie Darrel Lee Hancock, a mixed-race boy, and Jesse Woods, a tough-as-nails girl with a sister on her hip and no dad in sight.Matt begins to fall for Jesse, and their promises to each other draw him deeper into her terrifying reality. One night, the wrath of the Blackwoods and the secrets of Jesses family collide, and Matt joins Jesse in a rescue that saves one life and ends another . . . and severs the bond of their friendship.Years later, Matt is pulled back to Dogwood and to memories of that momentous summer by news of Jesses upcoming wedding. He could never shake the feeling that there was more to the story of that fateful night, and hes determined to learn the truth behind the only promise Jesse Woods ever broke.