Costain, a precocious brown-haired little tot, lives with her mother, Shirley, in New York City. Shirley is a fiery redhead who is married to a cheating bum. Costain longs for a peaceful and happy life. When Shirley inherits her aunt's mansion in Denny Town, Costain's life begins to change. Shirley leaves the busy city life to be a single parent and an at-home travel agent. At first, Shirley is busy raising Costain and keeping all her travel customers happy. At the mansion, Costain and Shirley meet Isaac, an extraordinary man who claims to be the mansion's life giver. Isaac is single and handsome, with various secretive jobs throughout the community. With Isaac beside her, Costain leads a disciplined life of swimming and painting. Shirley now takes a back seat to the upbringing of Costain. Life is not always as it seems, and when Costain is old enough she finds out the strange truth about Denny Town. Costain thinks to herself, "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." When Costain enters college her adventures can be fortuitous, but with the help of Isaac she manages to pull herself out of dangerous situations. But the truth about the community is finally revealed and Shirley is not pleased with Isaac's secret life. Too late, Shirley realizes what Isaac has done to Costain. Costain tries to keep the family together but her studies take her away from home. Costain's life is sometimes like quicksand but she survives through her ingenuity and resourcefulness. Just when Costain thinks her life is matching her dreams, Devon turns up. Devon is a handsome athletic boy who has his eye set on Costain. Costain begins to trust Devon and that is her downfall. Can the town be saved and will Costain live to swim another day?