For Jody Dayton, the summer of 1943 marks the change from a boy to a man. Death, murder, love, hate, lies and growing self-confidence push him toward adulthood. After being sent to the mountains to live with his forest ranger grandfather, Jody discovers why his mother and grandfather are estranged and why his father might be so distant. At the same time, he meets and falls in love with a beautiful mountain girl who not only teaches Jody about trout fishing, but also about life.