This series is set in New South Wales, Australia, shortly after the end of World War II. After 20 years living in Europe, and surviving the war, Sarah Adams, is returning to her home in Inverness, Australia. While on board the ship, she saves a young man, James Bligh, from jumping overboard. She learns, when she arrives in her hometown of Inverness, that James is the son of the most influential landowners in the area. She is threatened by the matriarch, Elizabeth Bligh, that she must keep his suicide attempt confidential. What Elizabeth would really like to do is drive Sarah out of town. This, together with Sarah’s complicated romance with George Bligh, another son, and her conversion to Judaism, create multiple issues and heartaches.