Its 1943, and everyone says the war will be over soonWorld War II, that isbut Teresa Marks wonders exactly when that day will come. Her older brother, Jeff, is a fighter pilot doing his bit somewhere out there in the sky. Teresa worries about him, hoping he will get home to Kansas safely.As a way of speeding Jeffs return, Teresa and her dad plant victory gardens. The gardens help with the war effortand Teresa likes sowing seeds and watching them grow. Its life affirming.For the past two years, the Markses have planted tomatoes (Jeffs favorite!), winning taste-testing duels with a curmudgeonly neighbor. But this spring, when the neighbor is hospitalized, Teresa rallies her friends to tend to his garden. She cant bear to see it plowed under. She even wonders whether she should use her secret for growing better tomatoes on her rivals plants. But her faith in secret weapons, in victory gardens, in people, and in life itself is shattered as the war rages on overseas and death strikes close to home.