Belfast and Alaska 1889.

A young woman haunted by her mother's death embarks on an Alaskan adventure to escape an unwanted marriage.

Cunning and determination get her there in the guise of teaching at the Tlingit Indian mission. But Alaska proves more difficult than she imagined, and the hope that this new place will transform her seems out of reach with the impossible Mrs Paxson and the mysterious, troubled Tlingit Indian, Natsilane.

'...this is a beautifully calibrated and vivid and interesting historical novel about love and death in the North American wilderness,...the characters are fascinating,... the evocation of the natural world and the social customs and practices of Tlingit is assured and convincing, and... the story, albeit melancholy, is unfailingly engaging. I wish it well.' Carlo Gebler, The Siege of Derry

'A fable as gentle as Irish laughter and as lyrical as Irish song. A magical love story of a girl who must cross the world to find the one place where she can belong.' Karen Maitland, The Raven's Head