Robert is a Shaker boy, a member of a religious sect that no longer exists today. He tells his story in his own words, sweet and straightforward, as a preteen would do, about a life in Vermont that is simple and plain. Although he is only thirteen by the time the book ends, Robert takes his place in Shaker society and indeed in the world outside, as a grown man.

Robert undergoes a "coming of age" as he unfolds the adventures and misadventures of the year or so before he becomes a man. Robert works much harder than many young people do today. His father, whom he calls Papa, teaches his son through everyday things, such as doing his chores each day. Some of these teachings are profound, such as a person being born to do a "mission;" Robert's mission at present is doing the chores...