At school year's end, twelve-year-old Pierson was at the top of his class and on top of the world in general. That's when his parents announced their summer plans: the family was heading to the mountains of Pennsylvania. Tucked away from civilization for three months, they would live like pioneers. To Pierson, a typical suburban kid, the announcement was a sentence of exile. To make matters worse, his obnoxious fifteen-year-old cousin, Will, was invited to join them. At the remote cabin the boys are stuffed together in a tiny, unlit loft. Pierson learns to deal with a roommate who towers over him, threatens him and snores like a freight train! But dealing with Will teaches him lessons that will stay with him forever. Through the love of a discarded horse, the boys learn from one another and discover a new part of themselves in the process.