Skiff Beaman has a boatload of problems. Ever since his mother died, his father doesnβt want to get up off the TV couchβeven when the Mary Rose, his fishing boat, sinks at the dock. Twelve-year-old Skiffβs been bailing out Rose by himself for months, getting up before dawn to pump out the bilge and keep her floatingβjust in case his dad decides to put his beer aside and get up and go fishing. But once a boat has gone under you canβt bail it out.
With a nod to Hemingway, award-winning novelist Rodman Philbrick presents a starkly dramatic yet poignant story about a determined boy who refuses to give up, despite overwhelming odds. Skiff Beaman makes a choice to take on the worldβbut can he possibly beat the odds and win?