The perfect storm of communications mixups and personal disasters has left fifteen year old Ry sitting on some old tires under a street light at nightfall, bloody, dirty, hungry, and wearing only one shoe. There he meets Del, champion of lost causes. Ry quickly becomes Del's latest lost cause. Together they set out on a car, plane, and boat adventure that will lead them from Montana to the San Juan Islands in search of Ry's family. Success is dependent on a bit of luck and having the courage to tackle a near impossible set of obstacles.