The year is 1684. Young Eustache Bréman leaves a life of misery begging on the streets of France for a second chance in the New World with his mom, his sweetheart Marie-Élisabeth, and Marie-Élisabeth's family. But life is tough, with plenty more tragedy and disappointment to come on Cavelier De La Salle's ill-fated expedition to the Mississippi. Mutinous leaders, bloodthirsty freebooters, a hostile Karankawa nation and the wild Gulf Coast bayous make for heartbreaking adventure. Weaving real historical events into the day-to-day concerns of a young boy, this action-packed novel poses some troubling questions along the way. Will God answer Eustache's prayers? Will young love conquer all? Or will the men's true nature be revealed and bring about their downfall?