It was post World War II, and times were hard. The community of Sugar Creek suffered many war casualties. It was now a time of healing for the soldiers who'd returned, and for the families of the ones who never came home.The Bible says: "There's a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time for war and a time for peace." The time for peace had finally shown up and with it came joy, but not first without weeping. An unassuming air of dignity found its way into the humble Cross-Creek Community of Sugar Creek. It was the one common nobility the farming society chose to embrace.This is a saga about a young girl from that community, whose faith and courage brought change to its inhabitants much like the way rain brings new life to a dry and dying garden. She and her four friends, embark on numerous adventures during the summer between the sixth and seventh grades. For them, it was a year of up close and personal challenges that would bring them face-to-face with many issues present in Southern life. They developed faith, embraced love, and enjoyed childhood. They also endured hardships, experienced the sorrows of death, and found themselves in a position to help solve a murder mystery. All in all, it was their coming-of-age and they sought it with a lot grit and a little Southern Sass.