In 1744, at age 15, Jacques and his father leave France for Louisbourg, the capital of Île Royale--a far cry from his books and music and the comforts of his mother's home. In the Acadian forests that surround Louisbourg, a young Mi'kmaw man named Two-feathers watches the strange comings and goings of soldiers and citizens. The two young men follow very different paths--one formally educated and refined, the other curious and skilful--both seeking to understand their father.