The Fish Boats is the story of Tricia Catherine Petrini, growing up in an Italian fishing family, in the coastal town of Monterey California. As told through her diary, Tricia's last year of high school leads her to the possibilities of adulthood while her family struggles with the day to day life as fishermen. As the youngest of three children, Tricia lives in the shadow of her older, undisciplined sister Leila. But with an abundance of Italian family members, Tricia relies on family ties as she tests the waters of her own life.