[1] The narrative begins in an orphanage where Amy inadvertently brings her sailor doll to life.

It continues on a ship where he has become captain and she has transformed into a doll herself.

The book is principally a coming-of-age tale and a nautical adventure involving pirates and the search for lost treasure.

The story contains whimsical elements such as a sailing ship crewed by Mother Goose animals, but also has darker themes including the obsession with Biblical prophecy and numerology.

[2] The Kirkus Reviews described it as "a treasure hunt of true and false clues and intriguing puzzles, and reads like a breeze".