Thirteen year old Ben Ward has had enough of schooling, and in the winter of 1898 his pa allows him to be the “cook’s helper” at the Blackwater Logging Camp. The long, cold winter is filled with the work of making tons of flapjacks, beans and doughnuts to feed the hungry lumberjacks and Ben has to work closely with his pa, who isn’t always in the best temper! Many other people fill Ben’s long winter days of drudgery with understanding of Pa and himself, especially Nevers, the orphan that signs on to work with Pa and becomes Ben’s friend and rival.