Tired of being fat, rich, and miserable, Cleo Murphy runs away, desperate to prove herself. Her destination is a deserted island her father owns in Canada. She is determined to stay and survive, through her supplies are scanty and she knows nothing about living out of doors. As the summer months pass, Cleo does fend for herself, and finally she feels ready to face her family on the mainland. But by a cruel twist of fate her canoe is destroyed, and instead she must prove herself again and face the brutal Canadian winter.