Bullied at school, friendless and misunderstood, Broadie Bennett learns to trust the loving, sincere people who come into his life. When January, a girl his age, moves in next door, a fragile friendship grows, and through the sting of a first crush he is helplessly pushed aside as she soon suffers dire challenges of her own. His circumstances deteriorate through the disintegration of his family and an increasingly violent environment, but he holds on to a vision of the life he wants, one small symbol of what he desires most: a gold coin that belonged to his great-grandmother. As he is torn away from the only stability he has ever known, the home of his grandparents, he faces a choice between escape and the selfless care of his younger siblings. Little does he know how great and far-reaching his small choices will become for his life and those around him.