Nancy Brandon is fifteen and running a country store. When her mother departs for a librarians' conference in Europe, Nancy and her younger brother Ted are sent to spend the summer with relatives in a small town. Rather than waiting around to be entertained, Nancy takes charge of the Whatnot Shop, a dusty little emporium that promises both adventure and chaos. She is determined, sharp-tongued, and full of ideas. Ted is skeptical and carefree, the perfect counterweight to her ambition. Together they navigate the quirks of village commerce, the meddling concerns of elderly Miss Townsend, and the social minefield of summer visitors. A hostile cousin must be won over, a strangely secretive girl seems to be at the center of an old misunderstanding, and Nancy must prove that a teenager can handle real responsibility without losing herself in the process. The result is a sparkling portrait of early independence: messy, funny, and surprisingly nuanced about what it costs to be the kind of girl who refuses to wait for life to happen to her.
