Twelve-year-old Tiff loves her mom, Carla, who is glitzy and fun and always coming home with shiny new amazing stuff. The trouble is, Tiff's mom doesn't buy things, she takes them. The fact is, Tiff's mom is a thief. When Carla gets caught, Tiff's shiny life is ruined. She's packed off to a remote island to live with Carla's family. A family her mom never even talks about and that Tiff has never even met! How can she survive in this dull, dull place? But the island of Sark isn't as awful as Tiff imagined it would be. The islanders are kind and honest and she's happy spending time with them. So three months later, when it's finally time for her mom to join her, Tiff can't help feeling more than a little bit worried.