As a boy, fifteen-year-old Tom Woodruff dreamed of following his father and grandfather to Camp Catamount, but after his father's untimely death, Tom's cosmopolitan mother forbade outdoor adventures for as long as she could.
Adventure came at the confluence of unfortunate events. School wasn't going well and Tom's mother had moved overseas. Worst of all, a terrible car accident meant that staying with his grandparents in New York was no longer an option.
It was time for a change and Tom agreed to attend Camp Catamount until further arrangements could be made. Besides, if he hated it, he could always escape.
Tom passes though countless emotions while adjusting to camp and the wilderness. Shaine and his cronies become increasingly hostile and Tom's other cabin mates will not risk Shaine's wrath to defend him. Tom takes to canoeing but constantly questions his new skills. His new friend, Cecille, draws him into a complex plot about the camp's future. And all the while he must prepare for the Dumoine River, an adventure near the end of summer that will put all of their wilderness skills to the test.
Will Tom succeed in the wilderness, or will he return to the comfort of New York and his grandparents?