Carrie Sinclair tells the ghost of her son Johnny about the summer of 1987, when "the boys" arrive on Beechwood Island, setting off events that will haunt her for years to come.

Beechwood Island, off the coast of Massachusetts. Caroline "Carrie" Sinclair tells the ghost of her son Johnny about the summers of the 1980s: her sister Rosemary drowning; her sisters Bee and Penelope flirting with boys and pretending nothing tragic had happened. Caroline had had face surgery that reshaped her bone structure; now her addiction to the pain pills is getting out of control. When their uncle Dean, some cousins and their friends show up on the private island, a web of lies, betrayals, secrets begins. - adapted from jacket (regular print edition)