The deadly ice storm which struck Eastern Canada and the US in January of 1998 has a drastic effect on the lives of two 12yearold cousins, one a figureskating "princess" from Montreal, and the other her downtoearth farmgirl cousin.

June 1912: Ella is surprised by her birthday gift from her mother, a Brownie camera and the advice to seek pictures of things that "don't belong." This is how Ella first notices Billy, a boy at her school who seems out of place. They become good friends, although Ella is sure Billy is keeping something from her. Ella soon realizes there are others to whom the "don't belong" tag applies. They include herself Helping out at a tea for the women's rights group to which her mother belongs, Ella finds out about her place in society--or the lack of it. But there is someone else who is even more out of place, a stranger who pretends to be something he isn't, and he's up to no good. When Ella's mother's purse is raided, suspicion falls wrongly on Billy. Just as Ella is learning more about herself, her mother and her mysterious friend, the tornado (known then as a cyclone) arrives, bringing devastation to the city. It's the substandard housing of the poor that's worst-hit. But the storm also reveals a few hidden secrets. Can Ella, armed only with her camera and its evidence, help her friend? Based on the story of a real 1912 tornado.