A boy named Conrad cares for his family's lone cow amid a village devastated by war, famine, and disease. Facing ruin, his family and neighbors plan to leave their desolated valley and travel downriver toward a distant land. Conrad, older than his years and fond of reading, imagines the sea, fruitful climates, and encounters with Native peoples while reassuring his siblings. The narrative follows their departure, a sea voyage that includes threats such as pirates, and overland travel through dark forests toward a new settlement, tracing the hardships, hopes, and small domestic moments that shape the migrants' long journey.