A young Irish boy's grandfather suddenly disappears for no apparent reason during the height of the Great Potato Famine. The boy eventually decides to find the old man, and in doing so undertakes an adventure that takes him to the boat-building world of London, a sea crossing, followed by years of travel across the new world of America, following rumors of his grandfather and meeting famous characters along the way, all to the backdrop of the Indian wars and the political posturing of a chaotic nation's capital, all seeking a permanent and just settlement to the "Indian question."