At fourteen, teenager Jack Garrett finds himself living in an unhappy household. His mother is acting strangely, retreating to bed, refusing to cook and pleading for time alone. Meanwhile, his father buries himself in his work and makes excuses for her "illness." But when his mother is checked into an institution for clinical depression, Jack and his ten-year-old sister Laura are shipped from Toronto to their Aunt Jenn's home in Desolation Sound, British Columbia. When it looks like their situation might be permanent, Jack and Laura are dismayed and decide to rebel. They steal a dinghy and head for the deserted caves on Dragon Island, intent on calling their father's bluff. But a stormy sea and an accident on the cliffs soon turns their defiance into desperation — and suddenly their "crazy family" is the only hope for rescue. This is a gripping adventure story that also deals with complex issues of mental illness, family breakdown and the ties that bind parents and children.

At 14, Jack Garrett is living in an unhappy household. His mother acts strangely and pleads for time alone. Meanwhile, his father makes excuses for her "illness." When his mother is institutionalized for depression, Jack and his sister, Laura, are shipped to their aunt's home in British Columbia. When things get rough, Jack and Laura rebel. They steal a dinghy and head for some deserted caves, intent on calling their father's bluff. But a stormy sea and an accident soon turn their defiance into desperation, and their "crazy family" is the only hope for rescue. This is a gripping story that deals with complexities of mental illness and the ties that bind parents and children.