In the New England countryside tenuous bonds hold rural families together. At nine years old, Sander is too busy to be bored. With trees to climb, floods to explore, wildlife to track, and girls to watch, he is constantly occupied. With his little brother as a sidekick he torments his sister and squeezes every bit of fun from the world that he can. In the midst of 1981’s downtrodden economy, he senses his family’s desperation. Though his parents live hand-to-mouth they plot and plan in an effort to provide a better future for their children and create new opportunities. Sander learns quickly that few good things in life come easy and that while it is not always easy to have strong character it is always rewarding. He keeps his keen eyes on his surroundings and in doing so provides rich, detailed, and colorful descriptions of the people and things that impact his life.