Tomos and the younger members of his family stand at the rail of the departing vessel. Through their tears, they wave goodbye to the rest of the family left standing on the dock and watch as the shoreline of their beloved homeland soon becomes a distant blur.

Many weeks later, after a wrenching voyage, they find themselves in America. As Loyalists arriving on the eve of the American Revolution, they find themselves facing the terrors of war and the tragedies that follow.