When Matthew's dad gets in trouble, he makes trouble for everyone else too.
But with Dad in jail, Matthew and his mom have a chance to put their pieces back together.
Mom makes plans for a summer down the coast, fixing up Grandpa's old place in an effort to make ends meet. The beach, the swirling rockpools, and the vast ocean offer new perspective and promise for Matthew as he strikes up a friendship with Bill, an old local who recognizes a fellow 'Saltwater Boy.' Bill shows Matthew how to find pippis and catch fish (and even make a few dollars from it). Bill becomes the paternal figure that Dad isn't—wise and patient—but Bill isn't welcomed in town, and Matthew begins to witness old rivalries and buried truths resurface.
Then Dad gets out on parole, and his recklessness puts everything, and everyone, at risk.
Heartfelt and poignant, this captivating coming-of-age story navigates the difficult terrain of fractured families, the lies that break, and the ties that bind.