A sweeping debut family saga set in Cornwall in the late 1700s,
following Rose Pengelly, a young woman determined to pull herself out of
poverty and make her mark on the world. Cornwall, 1793: Rose Pengelly's
father has been ruined--he has lost his boat yard and his fortune,
plunging Rose and her mother into poverty and debt. There appears to be
only one way out of their terrible circumstances; for Rose to marry Mr
Tregellas, a powerful timber merchant and the man Rose believes is
responsible for her father's downfall. He has made his terms clear;
either she marries him or faces homelessness and destitution. Desperate,
Rose sets out to find evidence of Mr Tregellas's wrongdoing. In her
search, she encounters a mysterious young sailor called Jim, who refuses
to disclose his identity. Even as she falls in love with him, she
questions who he really is. He may help her restore her fortune and her
good name, but does he ever tell her the truth?