To Mena Westwood, Windermere Plantation offers the perfect opportunity to completely transform herself. Determined to escape a past that could have destroyed her, she arrives on the beautiful island of Barbados in 1854, with an entirely new identity free at last to pursue her dream to teach. At almost every turn, Mena faces struggles both large and small which challenge all she thought she knew about herself. Yet life has never been easy and despite the endless frustrations, Mena delights in her time at Windermere. When evil threatens to destroy all Mena cares for, she realizes that life has made her the only one equipped to confront the danger. The dark parts of her life that she has run from and the bright parts of her life that she now embraces have made her into a formidable woman. After all, who knows whether her entire life has merely been preparation for this specific battle?