Esperanta Seed - or Bean Seed, as everyone except her mum calls her, is a bit of a misfit. She spends a lot of the time hiding behind the fringe of her long black hair, trying not to be noticed. She's quite small, so this isn't too difficult. Her only friend is Ash, recently arrived in the village and staying in a caravan nearby. Ash helps Bean to be braver, encouraging her to do something she's never been able to do before - jump off her swing while it's in full flight. Oh, and land without hurting herself too! But each time, as the crucial moment approaches, Bean just can't bring herself to let go. That is, until very early one Sunday morning, when Bean wakes up before it's light and heads out to the swing at the bottom of her garden to have a little practice while nobody else is around. When Bean next opens her eyes after landing on the ground, she quickly realises that she is no longer in her own garden. And just who is that bending over her with a decidedly grumpy expression on their face?

What happens next will change Bean's life forever. But she's never quite sure if what happens to her is really, really real...