"The Bravest Woman in America" is based on the life of Ida Lewis, the first woman to receive the Congressional American Cross of Honor medal. Ida loved the ocean. She loved the "crash of the waves, the screech of gulls, and the bite of salt in her nose as she breathed in the ocean air." When her father is made the official lighthouse keeper of Lime Rock in Newport Beach, Rhode Island, Ida is thrilled. Soon, Ida is learning everything it takes to be a lighthouse keeper. Her father even teaches her how to row a boat and how to save people from drowning. Her skills are put to the test when her father is sick and she is watching harbor. Ida spies four boys fall into the ocean off their little sail boat. As she rows out into the wild waves, Ida hopes she can save them. Will she make it in time? Does she have what it takes to be a lighthouse keeper?