It's 1933 during the grimmest days of the Depression, and the Chandler family is at a turning point. Nina Chandler's father has been fired, her mother is convinced he is having an affair, and the eldest of her siblings will soon be leaving for college. Rather than watch the family shatter, Nina's father decides to set sail on a grand voyage at sea to escape the Depression and to thrive and prosper on their own terms. Aboard the sailing yacht, the Blue Dolphin, the Chandlers cruise the eastern coast of the United States, around the islands of the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal into the Pacific, down to the Galapagos, and back home again. On their voyage they encounter adventure in many forms: a hurricane, a few sharks, hostile ports of call, and of course, themselves.
An insightful narrator, thirteen-year-old Nina introduces us to her rather eccentric family, as well as the sailors of the Blue Dolphin. Together, this unlikely crew celebrates the strength of American character and the ability of individuals and families to flourish even in the worst of times.