It is the summer of 1952 in New Zealand. Ruth is nearly thirteen, and she is running away from home; away from her stepfather who keeps trying to touch her, and from her mother, who doesn't seem to notice what is going on. She has no plan in her head the morning she leaves, except that she is heading for the lake where they used to spend their holidays before Dad died, the lake where she was happy. It's a long journey into the bush, and more lonely than Ruth could ever have imagined. But she is determined to survive in the wilderness; she learns the ancient Maori names of the trees from an old botany book and becomes a skilled hunter. Eventually she is befriended by Tommy, an old drifter who lives in a hollow tree-house and passes on his bush-wisdom to her. When Tommy dies, Ruth decides to return to civilization. After two years in the wild she is ready to confront her family and start over on her own terms.

Set against a dramatic outdoor background, this absorbing novel presents the story of a young girl's remarkable voyage of self-discovery.