Life in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s by the Fraser River, along the lower southwest corner of British Columbia, Canada. The young character Jake from a young adolescent age becomes friends with a couple of hard drinking Indigenous people, George and Ruth. He also has girlfriends, through an innocent age to young adults. Jake becomes a fisherman at an early age, with George's help. He is the youngest of five children and experiences life growing up, fighting, and girlfriends at an early age. His father and three brothers become construction workers, and working in construction camps from time to time. Jake experiences hard times and tragedy at an early age. He soon grows to maturity earlier than most.