A 10-year-old boy shares an intense bond with his mentally ill mother. The youth's life is turned upside down when his mother lapses into violent psychosis. A former psychiatrist takes pity on, and then custody of, the child.

Dramatic tale of a young boy who prefers his outrageous imagination to the painful reality of his everyday life. Desperate to escape persecution at school and at home, young James wanders the docks of his picturesque coastal hometown until he befriends Henry, a retiree building a boat to sail around the world. One fateful night, when James is separated from his deeply troubled mother, Henry teaches him the greatest magic trick of all in how to live in the happy place found somewhere between fantasy and reality.—Anonymous

James is a boy who retreats into fantasy to escape the unpleasant things that happen his life. His mother Katie, is mentally ill, and frequently fights with her boyfriend Curt. James never knew his father. He meets Henry, a retired man who plans to sail around the world when he finishes fixing up an old sail boat. James volunteers to help with the boat, and becomes friends with Henry. Katie's condition worsens, straining James's ability to cope.—Steve Schonberger