Tom and Huck came into a decent amount of money from their previous adventures. Huck is placed under the guardianship of Widow Douglas who with her sister's help, attempts to civilize him. Huck not really enjoying the sisters efforts, gets help from Tom to escape.

Huck's father finds and gains custody of him and locks him up in his cabin. Huck once again unhappy with the confinement escapes, fakes his death, and takes off down the Mississippi River.

The book follows Huck's many adventures as he travels, grows and learns about life.

"It is little wonder that Mr. Samuel Clemens, otherwise Mark Twain, resorted to real or mock lawsuits, as may be, to restrain some real or imaginary selling of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" as a means of advertising that extraordinarily senseless publication. Before the work is disposed of, Mr. Mark Twain will probably have to resort to law to compel some to sell it by any sort of bribery or corruption. Boston Evening Traveller March 5, 1885" — University of Virginia