With home life destabilized by her father's post-World War II trauma, Ellie Honeycutt seeks escape at the NASCAR speedway and in her dreams of travel and college. Meanwhile, her twin sister, Ida, clings to family and finds solace in her sketchbook. Their close relationship is threatened when they both fall for the same charming classmate at their new high school--but a devastating car accident renews the sisters' deep bond, forcing them to reverse their roles.

Set against the backdrop of the nuclear arms race and the 1952 presidential election, this middle grade historical fiction novel is a powerful story of sisterhood and growing up, told in the twins' alternating voices.