 August, 1963; Alice, 14, an only child, and physically well developed, is home for vacation. She s moody, silent, keeps a diary, and explores tactile sensations with broken eggs, candle wax, ear wax, vomit, urine, blood, and, perhaps, if the summer goes in one very possible direction, semen. Without her underpants, she walks about, rides her bike, and sits on the shore as the tide comes in. She drifts to her father s sawmill and makes eyes at Jim, a 20-something hand with a lean body and a model s face. What will Jim do, and does Alice want to do more than stare and fantasize? Meanwhile, pop music fills the air and the TV screen, and Alice s parents have their own drama.