The day Annetti meets Lars, things do not go well. Annetti is still struggling with the pain of her mother's death. Her father sends her out berry-picking, and she wears an old black muslin gown for the task. No wonder Lars mistakes her for a bear! If only she possessed the beauty and easy charm of her cousin! Kelda seems to have everything, including the attention of the strapping young man with golden hair and sky-blue eyes. How can a plain and quiet girl complete against such odds? When Annetti's father intervenes, she feels the pinch of embarrassment, followed by keen disappointment. Why does growing up have to be so hard?