Thirteen-year-old Henry Wheeler struggles to be the man of his house and care for his reclusive mother Adele, all the while confronting the pangs of adolescence. Henry and his mother encounter Frank Chambers, an intimidating man clearly in need of help. Frank convinces them to take him into their home and later is revealed to be an escaped convict. The events of this long Labor Day weekend will shape them for the rest of their lives.

Alexander Karpenko is no ordinary child, and from an early age, it is clear he is destined to lead his countrymen. But when his father is assassinated by the KGB for defying the state, he and his mother will have to escape from Russia if they hope to survive. At the docks, they are confronted with an irreversible choice: should they board a container ship bound for America, or Great Britain? Alexander leaves that choice to the toss of a coin. In a...