At the Black Rocks

Set along a rugged shore, the tale follows a timid, accident-prone boy and a band of local youths who become involved with a stranded schooner, a solitary lighthouse keeper, and the dangerous sandbar outside the harbor. Rising fog and a gathering storm escalate tension as the children and adults attempt rescues, face traps and misjudgments, and cope with shifting tides and currents. Chapters alternate between quiet domestic moments in the lighthouse, daring small-boat ventures, and the arrival of an investigating figure whose presence helps unravel the hazards and moral questions that the crisis exposes.