Rivers is living a fairly typical life for a nine-year-old boy when his father returns after a six-year absence.

The return of Rivers's father threatens to tear the family apart until Uncle Daddy suffers a near fatal heart attack.

Roger Sutton in his review for Horn Book Magazine said that "Rivers's narration is open and vulnerable, and readers will feel a ready empathy, not to mention a wish for an Uncle Daddy of their own.

"[1] Heide Piehler said in her review for School Library Journal that this novel will "appeal to readers who want an alternative to the grim realism of much contemporary fiction.

"[3] Nancy Johnson in her review for The Reading Teacher said that "Ralph Fletcher's realistic relationship between adults is convincing while the hero status imposed by Rivers on his great-uncle provides a child's perspective of a relative who went beyond the common familial relationships to provide a safe and secure environment for loved ones.