Cammie Deveau has begun life with a few strikes against her. She's visually impaired, she was abandoned by her mother at birth, her father was a casualty of the Second World War and, if all that isn't enough, she's being raised by her bootlegging aunt. No wonder she dreams of starting a brand-new life.
When Cammie learns about a school for blind and visually impaired children, she becomes convinced that a new life is waiting for her in Halifax, but how will she ever convince her aunt to let her go? With the help of her best friend, she devises a plan to blow up the local moonshiner's still. But Cammie has not managed to change her luck, and things get worse than she ever imagined.