Twelve-year-old Gussie Dwyer--audacious, resilient, determined to adhere to the morals his mother instilled in him--undertakes to trek across the sumptuous yet perilous peninsula of post-Civil War Florida in search of his father, a man who has no idea of his son's existence. Gussie's journey sees him cross paths with hardened Floridians of every stripe, from the brave and noble to a bevy of cutthroat villains, none worse than his amoral shark of a half brother. Will he survive his quest, and at what cost? Rich in deadpan humor as well as visceral details that illuminate a diverse cast of characters, the novel uncovers deep truths about family and self-determination as the reader tracks Gussie's dangerous odyssey out of childhood. Ivory Shoals is an unforgettable story from a contemporary master.