Leto 1956. Desetletnega dečka Austina starši pošljejo na odmaknjeno kmetijo h konzervativnim starim staršem. Potem ko mu ne uspe pobegniti, mora Austin opravljati težka dela na kmetiji in hoditi v šolo, kjer spozna deklico Thereso. Deček kmalu odkrije, da njegov dedek in babica sploh ne komunicirata med seboj in prezirata drug drugega. A čakajo ga nepozabne pustolovščine, kmalu pa celo odkrije družinsko skrivnost.
'Northern Borders' tells the story of ten year-old Austen Kittredge who is sent by his father to live on his grandparents' Vermont farm, where he experiences wild adventures and uncovers long-festering family secrets. It's 1956 and Austen experiences the farm as a place full of eccentric people, especially his stubborn grandparents whose thorny marriage is known as the Forty Years War. Initially feeling stuck in this fractured household, young Austen plans a quick exit but ends up stranded with no choice but to navigate and endure. A humorous and sometimes startling coming-of-age-story, 'Northern Borders' evokes Vermont's wildness, its sublime beauty, a haunted past, and an aura of enchantment.