On a tiny, desolate island off the coast of Southern California, two families, one in the 1880s and one in the 1930s, come to start new lives and pursue dreams of self-reliance and freedom. Thirty-eight-year-old Marantha Waters and her husband arrive on San Miguel on New Year's Day 1888 to restore her failing health. Two years later their adopted teenage daughter will exploit every opportunity to escape the captivity her father has imposed on her. As the new century approaches, the ranch stands untenanted until March 1930 when Elise Lester, a librarian from New York City, settles on San Miguel with her husband, Herbie, a World War I veteran full of manic energy.
From the community