13-year-old Nell Mackelwain has to share her mother, a Canadian peacekeeper, with the world, when she just wants her home in Edmonton, helping her deal with the bullies at school. Nell's trying to be understanding about her mother's chosen mission, to go halfway around the world to be a peacekeeper, even though she's a single mom and has to leave Nell and her brother with their uncle Martin who doesn't know anything about raising kids.