[1] Based on an actual incident in 1964, its protagonist is Hallie, a Pittsburgh seventh-grader coping with the mental depression of her laid off father, an iron worker, and the separation she undergoes.

An incomplete bridge across the Allegheny River serves as constant reminder that his vocation is gone and this fact prompts a spectacular dramatic act.

Hallie tries to communicate with her mother and father, but they are too much blinded by their own fears, doubts, and regrets, that she simply retreats to her room instead.

In addition, Shelley doesn't want to spend time with Hallie, furthering her younger sister's alienation at home.

As Crane attempts to get his attention, Hallie runs from the scene, afraid he'll find out the man on the bridge is her father.

Her father returns home after a short stay in the hospital, and is seemingly cured of his bitterness, to the family's relief.

She suffers from lack of communication with her mother and father, and struggles with growing up in an atmosphere where she cannot discuss her distress.

One of the characters states that mice sometimes eat their young, again, representing the antagonism that Hallie faces from her father.

Characters talk on the phone superficially, which demonstrates the further decay of communication that takes place within the text.

The novel has received mixed reviews, mostly negative, the main complaints residing in the area of poor narrative structure.

"[5] Critics see the ending as particularly weak, noting that McDonald's employment of amnesia to tie up the story is too convenient.