Sixteen-year-old Chanda Kabelo, living in sub-Saharan Africa, knows only too well the truth behind the secret people are trying to keep hidden: that all around her people are dying because of AIDS. When her young stepsister dies, Chanda takes charge, organising the funeral for her grief-stricken mother. But Chanda remains a girl like any other, with hopes, worries and secrets of her own. Can she stay strong while helping her family to survive in the face of this tragedy?