Cissy Sissney and her family are staking their claim. Along with a handful of other entrepreneurs, they've stepped off the train into the brand-new town of Florence, Oklahoma, and started building a future. But the president of the railroad says no more trains will stop in Florence—ever. Without the railroad, the town can't survive. So it's up to Cissy, her family, friends, and neighbors to stop the train any way they can.

The Bright Lights Theatre Company and the Junker Boys arrive in Darksville on the same train. The Bright Lights came to entertain, whereas the Junkers came to rob the bank.

Ever since the magnificent Miss Loucien gave up teaching to join the Bright Lights Theater Company, school days have lacked a certain . . . drama . . . especially for Cissy, who longs for a life in show business, and Kookie, who craves adventure. But when a diphtheria outbreak interrupts the dull routine, Cissy and Kookie are evacuated to the doubtful safety of the Bright Lights’ summer home—a shipwrecked paddle steamer on the flooded Missouri River. Thus begins a wild and unpredictable journey downstream serving up grand performances, aggrieved river gamblers, irate lawmen, and perilous races. And when at long last Cissy steps into the limelight, the stakes are higher than she ever imagined. Renowned storyteller Geraldine McCaughrean weaves a rip-roaring adventure in this funny tale that’s chock-full of humor and heart.