Walter Beaumont, a nature-loving Midwestern teenager, has his destiny handed to him on a silver platter when his uncle invites him to come live in Alaska for the summer, in 1959. From the minute he arrives, Walter starts becoming the person he is meant to be, taught by his skookum uncle to be an extraordinary woodsman, a capable boatman, trapper, hunter and fisherman, aided by his natural abilities. He falls in love with a beautiful Native girl, but must join the army as he has promised his father, ending up in a special recon unit in the early days of Viet Nam. Wounded, he returns to Alaska just after the '64 Quake has wreaked incredible havoc, causing him great loss. His military training aids him in civilian life, and Alaska, his true home, helps to heal the mental and physical wounds he has su ered. He becomes a small boat builder, aids Alaska law enforcement as a tracker, is blessed with a sweet family life and eventually settles down to a peaceful existence in the only place where he'll ever be happy-Alaska.