During the turn of the twentieth century, lighthouses dotted the New England coast to provide security for ship-going traffic. When 13-year-old Louie and his mother are hired to be keepers of the light at Two Tree Island in the summer of 1903, his year-long adventures with his newfound friends - human as well as feathered - help him move from grief over the loss of his father and teenage uncertainty to maturity and stability.
After his father dies, 13-year-old Louie Hollander and his mother must move away from their old home and find a way to make a living. They are hired as keepers of Two Tree Island Lighthouse on Windlass Bay - temporarily. In order to keep the job, Louie and his ma must prove that they can handle the hard work. Tending to the urgent task of protecting sea-going vessels from storm and fog keeps Louie scrambling, especially when equipment breaks down.