When Jacob and Sara visited Pelican Island as college students, they knew that someday they were destined to live there-even though the island was a magnet for every passing hurricane. Clinging tightly to their dream, they sell their Illinois farm and move to the island, arriving full of hope for a new life. Facing the very real danger from devastating storms, they partner with Alex Samson of the local Samson Lumber Company to design a structure that can withstand any hurricane: a beach cottage on stilts that can be raised and lowered for safety. As they focus on their work of genius, another storm is building around them-the mistrust and anger of neighbors and the powerful island planning committee. As nature's chaos brews and islanders' emotions surge, Sara and Jacob find themselves in the eye of a hurricane in this compelling, relevant novel about what humanity can and cannot control.