After completing a Masters degree in special education, Susan Borghese accepts a summer position to tutor Andrew Andretti, a nine-year-old retarded boy. Andrew is the grandson of Mrs. Felicia Andretti, the wealthy owner of the international Andretti Art Galleries. This commitment takes Susan to the Andretti mansion on Long Beach Island in New Jersey. Susan is suspect as to the reason she was chosen for the position, and her suspicion is soon justified. What begins as an exercise in using her expertise, as a special education teacher, to improve Andrew's educational and behavior problems, ends in tragedy. Andrew's father, Philip Andretti, further complicates matters for Susan, when personal emotions embroil the events of that summer. Love, guilt, and unbearable loss are emotions Susan must endure as the summer ends and beyond.