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It's 1776, and the Revolutionary war is raging in the New York harbor. Fourteen-year-old Nathan Wade is a patriot, but he's too young to join the fight. And it's a good thing because in his tiny hometown of Saybrook, Connecticut, Nate worries about how to fight his own battles. An early childhood incident has left him terrified of water, he dreads encounters with the neighborhood bully, and he feels rejected when his father leaves to join the Continental Army.

But when his cousin David Bushnell comes to Saybrook with a secret, Nate is drawn to the intrigue. David has designed a water machine, a submarine, that can explode bombs underwater. And his mission is to launch it against British warships.

As war clouds gather over the colonies, Nate reluctantly agrees to help David build the weapon of war -- the "American Turtle." He worries about getting caught, but when unlikely circumstances put Nate at the center of the action, he must face the murky waters of his fears head on.

This story, based on actual historical events, captures the drama of the first submarine used in naval warfare and the adventures and struggles of a teenager overcoming self-doubt.