Ethan is a sixteen-year-old boy who, with his twelve-year-old brother Rory, reluctantly leaves his boarding school for the summer to be dragged to the other side of the world by their reclusive and eccentric uncle. When their uncle finally explains that he is hunting for a true, living dinosaur in the heart of the Congo River Basin, Ethan immediately pegs him for a lunatic. However, using documented eyewitness accounts, a vivid description of dinosaurs from the Bible, and, his most powerful weapon, news that Ethan and Rory's late mother believed that dinosaurs exist too, their uncle has them convinced. They journey to the Congo and meet Shari, a missionary nurse, and her adopted daughter Maggie whose passion for the plight of the Congolese people leaves Ethan instantly smitten. Their dinosaur hunt leaves Ethan, Maggie and Rory separated from their group, facing danger at every turn, and racing against the clock to get medical help for a serious injury. In the end, they make the discovery and sacrifice of a life time, the emotional gap between the boys and their uncle is finally bridged, and Ethan learns that home truly is where the heart is.