Eliza is a young convict from a poor family, transported to Australia for stealing a scrap of lace. There, she must navigate her way in the new colony's hostile environment where women, in particular, are vulnerable to sexual and physical exploitation. But Eliza has a terrible secret that torments her: she is guilty of a worse - unforgiveable - crime. To expiate her guilt, and make reparation for the past, she must confront her worst fear: the sea.
Victor is a young writer from a privileged London family, whose literary ambitions are at odds with his parents' expectations. He, too, must chart a difficult path, negotiating his way between duty and artistic inclinations. Plagued by insecurity and self-doubt, unexpected dangers and shocking truths unexpectedly confront him as his secure world is suddenly ripped apart. Exposed to a brutal new world, he learns that even those closest to him cannot be trusted.
This is the story of two vastly different, though strangely parallel, lives. Both Eliza and Victor are determined to survive danger and misfortune, to defy convention and have the final say in shaping their own destinies, but will Fate intervene and prevent them?