| abstract | - In Madison, Pennsylvania in the summer of 1972, 11-year-old Vada is a tomboy and a hypochondriac. Her father, Harry, is a widower who lives in a funeral parlor and does not understand her. Vada is obsessed with death and cares for her grandmother Gramoo who suffers from Alzeheimer's disease. She gets teased by other girls except her friend Judy and her special friend is Thomas J. Sennett, an outcast boy who is allergic to everything. Vada starts out befriending Shelly DeVoto and her father and Shelly get engaged. Then, she and Thomas share a kiss. After she loses her mood ring, Vada and Thomas search for it, but her friend is killed by a swarm of bees. Her grief rekindles her bond with her father and she learns that Thomas's death wasn't her fault. She hangs out with another girl named Judy and eventually finds her sense of purpose.
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