From the back cover:
"Jeff is very young when his mother, Melody, leaves him alone with his quiet, studious father. Sometimes he wonders what it would be like to have her around, but he and his father don't talk about it. Then one summer Jeff gets an invitation to visit Melody in South Carolina and he earnes all over again how much he loves her. Now he has a lot of feelings to sort out about boht his parents. When he meets a girl named Dicey Tillerman, the task becomes a little easier."

Dicey Tillerman is the main character of Dicey's Song, which is another great book.

Sending this book off for the library in Nebo, IL.