In 1847, Tessa O'Melia, sixteen years old and the eldest of six children, lives off the West Coast of Ireland. Her mother's soup is little more than water and her childhood friend has died from the potato famine plaguing the region. Tessa vowed to never leave her home and family, but when her father is jailed, leaving the family even more penniless, Tessa is sent to America for a marriage of convenience, with hope to send money back to her family. While her journey on the famine ship is isolating and tumultuous, her red-headed temper and youthful curiosity carry her through. In Tessa's Landing we see the sorrow and triumph of the Irish immigrant experience, and how one girl's self-determination leads to survival in a new world.