The narrative follows a coastal family and their efforts to settle, develop, and make a home on a rugged island, centering on Captain Ben Rhines’s purchase and improvement of the place, his courtship and marriage, and the boys’ adventures. Episodic chapters describe the island’s geography and wildlife, building and ship projects, community gatherings and surprises, mentorship from an unclely figure, and clashes with troublesome youths that yield moral reckonings. The stories emphasize resourcefulness, practical skill, neighborliness, and the formation of character through work and seaside frontier life.