The Cay is a novel about Phillip Enright, a boy who is stranded on an island with Timothy after his ship is torpedoed during World War II. Phillip has been blinded from an injury and must rely on Timothy to help him. However, Phillip is is prejudiced against Timothy, who is black. Over the course of the book, they develop a strong friendship, surviving on their small remote island. In the end, Timothy dies in a hurricane, Phillip buries him and is rescued, receiving surgery to repair his eyesight.