1973 has been a lonely year for Amy Henderson, filled with too many awkward moments to count—that is, until she helps rescue an injured seal pup. In order to help save Pup, she forms an unlikely alliance with Craig, a mysterious boy in a worn-out army jacket, and Miss Cogshell, an eccentric older woman whom the children in the town call "Old Coot." As she nurses Pup back to health with the help of Craig and Miss Cogshell—while simultaneously attempting to hide him from the harbormaster and a group of nosy popular girls infatuated with Craig—Amy discovers that people aren't always what they seem. Just as she starts to feel at home with her newfound friends, however, an unexpected challenge arises that could change the future of her town as well as her own life.