They met when they were eleven. He was the con man and hero of The Great Brain book series; Carrie the mesmerized reader. Instantly they bonded. His pranks and capers carried her through her teens and early adulthood.

In her early thirties, Carrie found more books about her literary hero, John D. Fitzgerald, and his family. She fell in love all over again. Only this time, she saw differences. Differences that nagged.

Both sets of books had been sold as family reminiscences, yet certain characters had been changed. Which was which?

What little Carrie found on the Internet didn't satisfy her. Hearkening back to long-hand research techniques, she began a multi-decade hunt to learn the origins of John D. Fitzgerald's family-oriented books.

Along the journey to find the real John D. Fitzgerald, she made new friends. Visited towns she had never heard of. Ventured out on her own. And she found love she never expected.