In 1870 Cornwall, tragedy forces a poor mother to make a heart breaking decision. She must send one of her young children away and she has to choose which one, knowing she will never see them again. This is the story of James Ivey who was only six when he was separated from everyone and everything he knew and he struggles to understand the reasons why for the rest of his life. Only when he has to make a similar terrible decision to leave his own family forever does he finally understand. Life can sometimes force us to make painfull choices which have lifelong consequences for all those involved. We follow James Ivey as he grows up in a rapidly changing Cornwall and finds love in the heart of his new family. He also finds romance when he meets his Welsh cousin for the first time and is irresistibly drawn to her and a passionate affair soon follows. When his son is born he finds fatherhood difficult and their relationship, as his son grows up, is never easy but when he remarries, three months after the death of his wife, their relationship is destroyed forever. This is an historical family saga set in Victorian Cornwall. It is a compelling historical novel, full of information about how life was lived by the working class in the Victorian era in Cornwall. It is also a beautiful story, a family saga full of romance, love, betrayal, forgiveness and understanding.