The story is set in the eighteen hundreds describing the events of the O'Dowd family who flee from their native Ireland escaping from the horrors of the potato famine. In their haste to leave the stricken land they are involved in a dreadful deed. Will they ever be able to put it behind them as they build a new life for themselves being pursued for events in the past. Percy Chattey, as usual, in his award winning writings, builds a realistic picture of the period with twists and turns in the story culminating in a thrilling end.