J lives and works in northern Nova Scotia. His life follows a pattern: every winter he works in the sugar woods, helping to make maple syrup. In the late summer he picks berries on a blueberry farm, and in the fall, he readies the sugar woods for another season. His life is set-until he finds a little bear cub lying in a stream, near death.

J's decision to save the bear changes both of their lives forever. Raising a bear is a lot of hard work. He must teach Charlie how to survive in the woods, how to gather berries, and even how to fish! J knows that one day Charlie will have to live on his own.

Together, J and Charlie face the unexpected as they become best friends. J learns just what friendship and loyalty mean-and how one big bear has a whole lot of surprises in store for him.