Description Touching and multilayered, this novel tells the story of Penny, an 11-year-old Italian American living in 1950s New Jersey who is looking forward to a summer of butter pecan ice cream, swimming, and baseball. Penny's idyll is shattered by several events, though. First, her mother starts dating the milkman. Then, Penny's arm goes through the wringer on the washing machine. Finally, details about her father's death, which her family has refused to discuss until this point, begin to surface. This clearly drawn tale eloquently describes the intricacies of family life.