Summary

Living above her uncle's chandlery, twelve-year-old Eliza has grown accustomed to a life of penury and servitude, her only comfort - the love and protection of her brother, Bart.

Living above her uncle's chandlery, twelve-year-old Eliza has grown accustomed to a life of penury and servitude, her only comfort - the love and protection of her brother, Bart. One day, Bart accidentally kills a man and is forced to flee to New Zealand. Alone and at the mercy of her cruel uncle, Eliza realises that her very survival is at stake.