When Anne Grant must choose between a life of obedience at the hands of a cruel but wealthy husband, or the freedom promised in the new world, she enlists the help of her childhood friend Ian, to leave Scotland forever for a life in Nova Scotia. As Anne adjusts to life aboard the Hector, she begins to realize that life at sea may be more than she bargained for: smallpox, storms and near famine that threaten to tear the ship apart. Anne must rely on her courage and the community of settlers, on their journey to the new world and their redemption.