Set in a 1920s coal-mining town, 13-year-old JW Donaldson is a good student with a bright future. As school ended for the year in 1926, JW was looking forward to summer. His father works in the mine, and there is a lot of talk around town about the mines. JW doesn't know the details. Slowly JW's parents reveal the truth: his father's hours have been reduced and they face difficult decisions to make ends meet that will impact on the young man's life.