The day before Crystal Brave's thirteenth birthday celebration, her parents leave for the Taum Sauk Mountain to study petroglyphs, planning to return the next day. All plans are disrupted by the long-predicted New Madrid earthquake. The devastation in Southeast Missouri cuts off all communication, leaving Crystal desperate to find out if her parents are safe. True to Brave family tradition, Crystal takes the courageous step of going to find them herself. With the special relationship between her and a horse and a dog, the generous mentorship of those she meets along her journey, and strength from the love for her family, Crystal faces some of her worst fears, earning passage into her teen years and learning the meaning of her family name.