For Hunter Frank, the summer of '79 begins with his mother returning home only to collect her welfare cheques for the last two months. When his older sister escapes their northern BC town and his brother goes to fight forest fires, Hunter is on his own. 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 what a boy at the crossroads needs. Hunter's summer is a journey to understanding that some villains are also victims, and that while reconciliation may not be possible, survival is.