Having had enough of life on board the ship that saved her from a watery grave， Dido Twite wants nothing more than to sail home to England. Instead， Captain Casket s ship lands in Nantucket， where Dido and the captain s daughter， Dutiful Penitence， are left in the care of Dutiful s sinister Aunt Tribulation. In Tribulation s farmhouse， life is unbearable. When mysterious men lurk about in the evening fog， the resourceful Dido rallies against their shenanigans with help from Dutiful， a cabinboy named Nate， and a pink whale.