In a coming-of-age story, young Mattie and Kip tap dance and ride the rails during the Great Depression. Separated by a perceived betrayal and a train crash, the two friends lose each other for a lifetime. At 99, Mattie recalls the roving youth who set her life in motion and confides her deepest regrets to her granddaughter, who discovers lessons in the past for present challenges.
With rhythms of tap, modern, and social dancing, the novel's cadence draws readers through a century of change in America, bringing us to wonder if our two dancers might ever see each other again. The story turns upon the uplifting question: Is there still time, in this lifetime, to love and forgive?