Thirteen-year-old Kenneth (Ken) Sparks loves planes and adventure stories. When he learns he will be taking a ship across the ocean to Canada alongside other children, it only takes a few hours for him to realize the voyage will be his chance to live his own adventure. Also, he is somewhat dissatisfied with his life at home, and the prospect of leaving sounds like a chance for something better. He feels his stepmother does not love him and is using the voyage as an excuse to get rid of him. The war makes life at home drab as well, with limited food options because of rations, a lack of clothes that fit and toys to play with, and the nightly bombings that begin over the summer. By the time the date of his departure comes, Ken is ready to leave. However, he acknowledges he will miss his family and worries about leaving them to face attacks from Germany while he escapes.

The voyage is a catalyst for the novel’s primary theme of Coming of Age in Times of Crisis. Once his journey is underway, Ken, as one of the older boys, steps up as a leader and grows in maturity.