Christine lives in a small windswept prairie city where time moves slowly. One morning, at the height of a hot, dry summer, she befriends an old man who lives just a few streets over. As their unlikely friendship grows, they hatch a plan to visit Lake Winnipeg—a vast inland ocean the old man longs to see again and the young girl can only imagine. A QR code printed in the book gives access to a recording online of the narrated story.