Thomas is a young boy growing up in 1980s Chattanoooga, Tennessee, straddling the language and culture of his French-Canadian father, Albert, and his American mother, Laura. But there's something else that sets Thomas apart: he was born on February 29. Before Albert sets out on a strange quest to find out more about his mysterious relative, Aime Bolduc - a Civil War-era soldier who is perhaps also Albert's contemporary - he explains to Thomas that he will age only one year out of every four and thus will outlive all of his loved ones. As the years pass, Thomas's loneliness grows until a terrible accident involving a young girl sends him on a journey of his own through time and space - a journey that will lead him toward the enigmatic Aime Bolduc. Spanning three centuries and set against the backdrop of the Appalachians, from Quebec to Tennessee, The Longest Year is a magical and poignant tale about family history, fateful dates, fragile destinies, and lives brutally ended and mysteriously extended.