Three kookums, a man named Crow, two best friends, and a drug dealer . . . twelve-year-old Hunter may be getting out of Red Rock sooner than he hoped. For Hunter Frank, the summer of '79 begins with his mother returning home only to collect the last two months' welfare cheques, leaving her three "fucking half-breeds" to fend for themselves. When his older sister escapes thier northern BC town and his brother goes to fight forest fires, Hunter is on his own, with occasional care coming from a trio of elders--his kookums--and companionship from his two best friends. It's been a good summer for the young entrepreneur, but the cash in the purple Crown Royal bag hidden in his mattress still isn't enough to fund his escape from his monstrous mother and the town of Red Rock. As the Labour Day weekend arrives, so does a new friend with old wisdom and a business opportunity that might be just a boy at the crossroads needs.