Carlson tells the story of the Foster family of Hatteras Village, who gave birth to the multi-million dollar charter fishing industry on the Outer Banks and, within two generations, are facing the demise of the family business to the forces of the industry it created. Within the gripping story of the rise and decline of one family's livelihood, Carlson relates the history and transformation of Hatteras Village through development and the growth of the tourist trade; the high-adrenaline experience of blue-water sport fishing and the industry that surrounds it; and the author's personal struggle to come to terms with the illness and death of his own wife to multiple sclerosis.