Penny is a vulnerable but gutsy teenager who has spent most of her life in and out of foster care. As the story opens she is on the threshold of what promises to be yet another tragedy. She's been placed in a foster home with a warring couple and has fallen in love with a young man who is certain to reject her: Undeterred, Penny salvages her spirit by focusing on an impossible challenge: swimming Lake Ontario. In this accomplished and highly original novel, readers will find themselves cheering on Penny as she struggles to meet both the challenges of the lake and of life itself. Her many foibles and ironic insights, filtered through a surprisingly mature sensibility, provide an entertaining and humorous read.