The nameless protagonist undergoes a series of experiences which change his perception of himself and the world. He is 11 years old when he arrives at the Larson farm after being passed around for years. “Home became, finally, something of an impossibility” (5) and, never having belonged or been properly cared for before, living with the Larsons is an entirely new world. On the first morning, he sits at the table and observes the family in their usual operations. He notices that everyone around him is odd in their own way, and yet nobody seems to mind. It is through the protagonist’s inner thoughts and reflections on his summer at the farm that we learn about who he is and who he becomes. Everything that occurs in the novel is through his perspective alone. He seems to possess self-awareness and hindsight, implying he is at least slightly older when retelling the events of the novel.

Farm life is a shock to the protagonist at first. Harris drags him out before dawn and exhausts him through work and play. This carries on every day for the entire summer, except on days when the family travels to town.