At Christmas time a beautiful ballerina doll who longs to dance is discovered in a toy store and coveted by two little girls: Ilyana, who wants to love her, and Mary Jane, who doesn't want Ilyana to get her.

After she discovers an old doll that had belonged to her mother and her grandmother, Sophie grows to love the doll more and more even though she is missing some hair, gets chocolate-stained, and loses an eye.

Oliver K. Woodman, a man made of wood, takes a remarkable journey across America, as told through the postcards and letters of those he meets along the way.