The remarkable story of a strange and beautiful Nicoleno girl who lives a serene and courageous life as the solitary survivor on a rocky island off the California coast. 

The island looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it, blue dolphins swim, otters frolic in the surf, and sea elephants and birds abound. Once, many other Nicoleno lived on the island too. But when the Russians arrived to hunt the island's wildlife, a war broke out, and many perished. The few that were left fled the island to Santa Catalina in the east But Karana, the girl with the long black hair, and Ramo, her brother, were left behind. 

Year after year, Karana waited for a ship to come for her. But while she waited, she fought for her very survival by building a shelter, hunting for food, and making weapons to stave off her enemies, the wild dogs who took her brother. 

Book 2 in the Island of the Blue Dolphins series

It has been many years since Zia's aunt Karana was left to fend for herself on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Zia has little memory of Karana, but she remembers the stories her mother told her of her aunt's bravery and resourcefulness. It is Zia's hope to one day travel beyond the Santa Barbara Mission, find Karana's island, and bring her home.

When Zia and her brother Mando discover an abandoned longboat on the shore, Zia thinks she has finally found a way to rescue her aunt. But, as she and Mando repair the boat and plan their trip, Zia begins to have some misgivings. Could Karana be happy among people who did not speak her language? Could she follow the white man's rules when she had known only freedom and independence?

Are Zia's plans for Karana all wrong?