All young Kate wanted to do was earn a little extra money but an accident sends her hurtling across the galaxy; she should have stuck to the paper round. Luckily she is clever, resourceful and arrogant and this helps her survive her early days on the strange planet. Then she makes contact with the natives and things go from bad to worse. How come they are human? Why do they treat her so badly? Eventually misunderstandings are cleared up and she has a few months of happiness before her arrogance, so useful before, starts to get her into trouble. The Authorities decide she needs correction to better fit into their society and she is only released from the House of Correction by the discovery that she has gifts, both Earthly and Unearthly, that will help them defeat their shape-shifting enemies, the Morphids. During the course of the war she discovers humility (well, almost) and love. But why is the handsome and elegant morphid hunter Floran so hesitant about the Earth girl? His doubts are finally resolved when Kate shows that being humane is not just a Celandran virtue.