Summary

11-year-old Sam is spending the holidays with his family on the Dutch island of Texel, but no one is having fun. His older brother has broken his ankle; his mum is plagued by migraines; and the morbidly imaginative Sam decides to prepare for the day his family might die by practicing loneliness. But when 12-year-old whirlwind Tess catapults herself into his life, Sam’s only option is to follow her lead. Tess wants to find her father, who doesn’t even know she exists. Together they come up with an especially weird plan to lure him onto the island for one week, discovering the joy of living and the meaning of family along the way.

A hilarious, heart-warming tale about family, friendship and what it means to live.