As World War II concludes, fifteen-year-old Roberta Harrison struggles to reconcile her anticipation of peace with the fractured reality of her returning brother and a changing home life. Roberta, known as Bobby, navigates the emotional aftermath of the conflict as her brother Alex returns from overseas bearing deep psychological scars. She faces the instability of her father's employment at a local airplane factory while managing the shifting dynamics of her friendship with Nancy. The narrative captures the domestic tension of the post-war period through the lens of a teenager attempting to restore normalcy in a world that has been permanently altered by global violence.

This work is characterized by its grounded approach to the psychological impact of war on those who remained at home. The narrative avoids grand battlefield heroics in favor of the quiet, persistent struggles of a family attempting to reconnect after years of separation. Readers likely find the portrayal of the protagonist's internal conflict regarding her brother's withdrawal to be the most compelling aspect of the story. The book serves as a focused study on how the end of a global crisis does not immediately equate to the restoration of personal peace.