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; ready to probe they can thrive and prosper on their own terms. And that is exactly what they do. Along the way they face a hurricane, a few sharks, and some not-always-friendly ports of call as they 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.

Thirteen-year-old Nina, an insightful narrator, 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.