When young Spit MacPhee came to live with his grandfather, the people of the Australian country town of St Helen feared for his future. For Fyfe MacPhee was a crazy old man, and barefoot Spit had to fend for himself along the riverbank where they lived. While some people believed that Spit could look after himself, there were those who believed he would be better cared for in a boys home - and when old Fyfe died after one of his 'turns' a fierce battle to decide Spit's destiny began.