Sometimes dreams come true. . . .

All Margaret wants is a sister, a dog, and, most important of all, her mama's permission to study medicine so she can be a doctor like her papa.

"Doctoring's no kind of life for a woman," Mama says. Margaret's papa is the only doctor in the whole Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, and he faces countless perils every day.

Still, Margaret holds tight to her dreams . . . until a terrible virus breaks out, threatening her plans, her community, and, worst of all, her family. Suddenly it's up to Margaret to make the right choice.