After she moves to the Australian outback following her mother's death, fifteen-year-old Laura's friendship with a strange and beautiful dog helps her adjust to a new life with an unfamiliar father and unfriendly stepfamily.

Twelve-year-old Charles experiences many difficulties in adjusting to a new stepfather, stepsister, and stepbrother.

Young Ben finds that he is happy in the stable life provided by his stepfather despite his uncertain relationship with his moody and troubled stepbrother and his mother's growing restlessness in her new marriage.