Synopsis
The four Tillerman children search for a new home after they are abandoned by their emotionally ill mother. Dicey and her younger brothers and sister eventually settle in with their grandmother on a stark homestead by the Chesapeake Bay. Dicey is confused about where she fits into the family now that Gram has taken over responsibility for the youngsters, but she soon learns that the family still needs her resourcefulness and solid good sense. In her spare time, Dicey works at restoreing a derelict sailboat, meticulously sanding down layers of old paint. Metaphorically, her emotional defenses wear away as she slowly opens to hope, friendship, expressive writing, and finally to an acceptance of her mother's death. When Gram and Dicey bring her mother's ashes home, the broken family is nearly healed.
James enlists his brother, Sammy’s help to find Francis Verricker, who may be the father who deserted them long ago. Although they do not locate him, through this quest, the brothers learn more about themselves than they thought possible.
Read more about this topic: Tillerman Cycle