Her life, not easy since her parent's separation, has been fraught with problems; her parents' bitter divorce left her and her brother devastated. Their lifestyle changed dramatically when they plummeted from wealth to a life of rented homes and subsistence, and Maxine finds herself more and more relied upon by her family members.
Maxine, finding herself very much alone, seeks friendship—first from her diary, then from Amanda, a girl she meets at school.
As the girls grow into womanhood, they share experiences of love, laughter, despair, sorrow, and finally happiness.