Evangeline is working as a governess in 1840 London when she becomes involved with the half-brother of the children she cares for. While the young man is abroad, knowledge of their tryst surfaces within the household when it is discovered that Evangeline has a ring, a family heirloom, that the gentleman supposedly gave her, which her employer accuses her of stealing. With no one to vouch for her, Evangeline is whisked away to prison and ultimately put aboard a prisoner transport ship bound for Australia. Mathinna was born in the bush and the colonization by the English is effectively wiping out her family and their way of life. Because Mathinna can speak English, she is a novelty, and she is taken in by the governor and his wife as an experiment to see if they can "civilize" her. This sweeping saga transports you across time and place as we witness the hardships endured by some of the unfortunate women of the era. Well researched and impeccably written, this is a novel to lose yourself in, even though all storylines may not be as satisfactorily wrapped up as you would like.