In 1755, on the eve of the Seven Years' War, 15-year-old Nola and her Acadian parents face expulsion from Grand Pré by the British. Nola, her friends Hector and Jocelyne, Nola's grandfather, and a band of bold teenagers manage to flee by boat only to encounter challenges tougher than their wildest imaginings. Their destination is French-occupied Fort Louisbourg, but along the way hostile soldiers, a harsh environment, enigmatic Mi'kmaq, and superpowers at war turn their journey into a series of hair-raising adventures. As it turns out, the runaways' route to freedom may be rudimentary technology. Using raw hypsum, limestone, coal, and salt, they forge coal-oil fire bombs that keep their attackers at bay for a short time but not long enough to ensure their survival. Will the resourceful teenagers finally discover what it takes to prevail in a continent poised on the edge of irrevocable change?