An accident on London's Oxford Street puts Leah Hinchcliffe in hospital with multiple injuries. Her immediate condition is worrying enough, but at sixteen and tipped as a future prima ballerina, she is naturally devastated.
In this latest addition to the Hinchcliffe saga, we see her family and friends gather around her, determined to help and support her through this overwhelming experience.
Set against the usual Hinchcliffe backdrop of musicals, pantomimes and performances by her father's dance band The Dalesmen, she begins her recovery at home whilst studying for 'A' levels, helping with rehearsals, caring for her godparents' disadvantaged daughter Janice, and becoming involved in the delights and upsets of family life.
With no guarantee that she will ever fully recover, she must address the immediate future and decide on her next career step. Perhaps more importantly, she has to discover whether or not she can make the most of a future she sees as second-best, or suffer a life of disappointment.