In 1889 Wilhelmina Tuckerman and her family were on their way to Mount Desert Island where Samuel Tuckerman had insisted the family go instead of the Berkshires. As the summer unfolds, Wilhelmina meets Emma, a young Indian girl, and they share many adventures. Their friendship strengthens when they go on a fishing trip to Greenville with Wilhelmina's father and Emma's Pa and Uncle Johnny. They get to see many wild animals that are native to the bountiful Maine woods. They catch fish from Moosehead Lake and from the many brooks and streams along the Northeast Carry. They get to eat the fish in the great outdoors on an open fire. The girls and Uncle Johnny visit Emma's Uncle Chester who lives in a cabin and has a moose for a pet! These are all new experiences for Wilhelmina, the girl from the city. She takes great delight in her new friend's ability to be so in tune with the land, the water, and the Maine woods. When they return to Mount Desert, they spend the rest of the summer riding horses, enjoying the Widow's Walk, going on picnics, and many other wonderful adventures.