Malcolm Polstead, an intelligent eleven-year-old boy, lives with his parents at an inn near Oxford. When he discovers that the infant Lyra is being hunted by powerful enemies connected to the authoritarian Magisterium, he decides to protect her. Together with a courageous girl named Alice, Malcolm escapes in his canoe, La Belle Sauvage, during a devastating flood. As they travel through dangerous waters, they face spies, villains, and mysterious magical forces while trying to keep Lyra safe. Their journey helps shape the future heroine of His Dark Materials