Ryan's dad is going through C.O.L., also known as "change of life syndrome," as the adults like to call it. He went away for the summer to try to work through his problems, leaving his family behind. Ryan's mother decides to send Ryan to Peggy's Cove, the most beautiful cove in the world, for the summer to stay with his Aunt Fay, who owns and operates a store there. Peggy's Cove is all right, Ryan thinks, if it weren't so small and crowded with tourists. Still, he manages to make friends. First, he befriends Drummer, a misfit. But hanging out with Drummer proves disastrous because it makes him behave in ways he never has before and gets him into trouble. Next, he finds friendship with fishermen Eddie and Wing Ding, who teach him how to fish. The time he spends with the two fishermen is the best of his visit. Even so, he still thinks of his father a lot and writes him a letter in hopes of getting his attention. After spending a summer apart, will their relationship ever be the same?