Relates how Mafatu, a young Polynesian boy whose name means Stout Heart, overcomes his terrible fear of the sea and proves his courage to himself and his people.

Elric and his mother secretly care for his mentally disabled sister, Wynn, whom the villagers consider a changeling, until their father threatens to sell her, so they flee into the forest, even though Elric does not share her belief in magic.

"Laboring under a shared loss, Doug and his young son, Tim, set out on a late season backpacking trip through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. They find beauty and solidarity in the outdoors, making friends along the trail and falling into the rhythms of an expedition. But when reports of warfare and social collapse reach the ranger station, Doug--seeking to protect the only family he has left--withdraws even further into the backcountry"--