This novel is based on a true story of Presbyterian missionaries from Canada, who in 1871 travelled to the South Pacific to spread Christianity.
The story is told from Annetta's perspective as she accompanies her new husband, John Stewart, a missionary, to the New Hebrides (Vanuatu). She wants to be considered a missionary in her own right, not just a help meet for John, but to be able to express her opinions and be heard. Leaving behind her close-knit family in Nova Scotia, not knowing when she will see them again, if ever, is a great wrench.
On the quayside before embarkation, she is already having doubts about her choice, mainly whether she will be strong enough to cope with what lies ahead, especially when
