Narrative Outline
Time Period: Wild West
Setting: Desert of Arizona, in the hills and sand
Characters:
 Tommy-Little boy, only brother, son of Mary and Nathan
 Mary- mom of 3 kids, married to Nathan
 Nathan- husband & father of 3 kids, married to Mary
 Maci- oldest child of Mary & Nathan, almost an adult
 Sara- Youngest sister, the baby of the family, youngest daughter of Mary & Nathan, only
a toddler
 Sandra- Family friend with no kids or husband
 Susi- Stranger discovered in the middle of the desert.
Plot Summary: Tommy thinks he is old enough to tend to the land and begin learning the family
business, however his parents do not and want to give the responsibility to his sister, Maci. This
makes him so mad that he runs to the river in the middle of a storm and gets lost. The story
shows the struggles Tommy will face and how his family will come together and search for him
no matter what.
Theme: Always value those who you love the most.
Problems:
 Mountain lion
 Runs out of food and water
 Scared of the dark
 No shelter
 Mean strangers
Solutions:
 Hides in the river
 Fish swims into his shirt when
hiding from the mountain lion
 Finds a cave with glow in the dark
worms
 Runs to the mountains for protection
Beginning: Family is happy, but father is becoming tired of running the property on his own
Middle: Tommy is alone in the desert and the farm is struggling without the help from the entire
family, they keep taking turns looking for Tommy.
End: Tommy is found and comes home where he helps learn how to run the property WITH his
sister.
Rising Action: Father telling son that he will not be the one to begin taking over the family
property.
Climax: Mean strangers chasing after Tommy because they are cruel and did not have family to
grow and learn with.
Resolution: Maci and Sandra find Tommy while on the way to the other town and talk to him
and bring him home. Tommy and Maci realize that they must work together to learn the family
property to make sure that it runs in the best way possible. They show up and surprise the family
for Sunday dinner after Tommy has been missing for 5 days.