Rosie may only be in fifth grade, but so far her short life has been great, despite being abandoned by her mother as a baby. Her dad and her dog Augustus are all she needs. But everything changes after her father suffers a debilitating stroke, and Rosie is sent to live with her gruff-but-loving grandfather. To make matters worse, her mother reappears in her life just long enough to give away her beloved dog, leaving Rosie desperate to find him.