In the middle of a large and loving family, 13-year-old Zinny Taylor sometimes feels like an outsider. She is a quiet girl who often prefers the calm of her Aunt Jessie and Uncle Nate's house next- door to the constant activity in her own family's home. The soothing quiet of the rural Kentucky countryside is also a source of solitude for her. The outdoors become an even greater source of solace for Zinny after Aunt Jessie dies unexpectedly. An old, overgrown trail on the edge of her family's farm provides Zinny with a focus for her grief, her energy, and her imagination as she determines to uncover the trail and follow it to its source. But Zinny unwittingly begins to unearth more than just the trail as she works. There are her own confused feelings about Jake Boone, an older boy who has recently returned to Bybanks; not to mention her mixed up feelings about her family. And there are also secrets--family secrets--that are rooted in an earlier family grief and waiting for discovery. The further Zinny travels from home, the closer she comes to knowing just how much strength and love there is that binds her to her family. Sharon Creech has once again created a book of fine emotional tenor and slow-smiling humor. (Ages 9-14)