One special Christmas, Janet Laidlaw's father gives her a silver pencil "for her stories," and she begins to write about the lush island of Trinidad and her family's "House on the Hill." Then Mr. Laidlaw's tragic death forces Janet to leave the only country she has ever known. From one school in cool green England, to another in America, Janet tries to find both a home and her life's work. Throughout it all, she uses her silver pencil to turn her life into stories---and her story brings vivid life to a world that has gone forever.