Skating Through Coleman is the story of a young girl growing up during the Depression in a small Kansas town. Some of her undertakings include getting saved at tent revivals, participating in cussing contests, and practicing song and dance routines. She hangs out with elderly eccentrics, as well as with her charming, and not so charming, relatives. She hopes World War II will last long enough for her to grow up and become a glamorous spy in a trench coat and beret. It is true that she starches her arch enemy’s dog-but only because it is absolutely necessary. Growing older, she learns that Valentine’s Day means love and that boys will not always be her enemies; even so, it is the magical Quantrain Theater that truly steals her heart. Coleman, Kansas may well have been the best place in the world to grow up.