Rowenna Batts has never been able to speak and now there's a suggestion that this is due to her mother's exposure to harmful chemicals whilst pregnant - chemicals her father used on his crops. Rowena and her dad escape from Australia to France to avoid the media. Rowena discovers that her mother died in a road accident in France and is determined to find the person who killed her. Rowena's life is turned upside down, but her fiesty character and love for her dad help her to cope. A story packed with humour as well as serious issues.