It's September 1901, and ten-year-old Keeley and her father are making a fresh start, after the death of Keeley's mother, in a brand new town called Frank that sits in a valley at the bottom of Turtle Mountain in southern Alberta.

From the moment they arrive Keeley knows she'll love Frank. Not only can she and her dad live together, but in Frank there's room for children to breathe, as her dad would say. There's also room for mischief, and Keeley quickly gets into some, with the encouragement of a schoolmate named Peter. Peter dares Keeley to spend a night in the coal mine, where she discovers another part of Frank that's a little bit scary. Will things turn out as she hopes?