It's the summer of 1980-something, and valedictorian Claire Hart has nothing to do. Her summers have always been meticulously planned—a class here, educational camp there—so her last summer before college she quickly becomes lost in the possibilities. She can't believe her luck when she's swept up in the storied world of the Tooheys, heirs to a plumbing fortune and the richest, quirkiest family in Keech Harbor, Maine. She's found a perfect summer, full of Toohey hijinks. As she follows the Toohey clan from one party to another, she starts to feel like she belongs somewhere other than in the library with her nose in a book. But perfection isn't all it's cracked up to be, and Claire has to decide whether she wants to live a perfect life—or one that's perfect for her, whatever that may be.