Norah McGowan has kept Finnegan Boyd at a distance since the moment they met, and, unfortunately for Norah, who is set on keeping her past behind her, she is an enigma the normally reserved Finn is determined to figure out. Although she is closed about her past, she is also kind and caring--to everyone except Finn. Both get more than they bargained for when Finn's family and Norah must travel to America in the wake of the Great Famine and troubles with the law in their current home in Liverpool. Aboard a ship bound for new opportunities and a better life, Finn and Norah grow closer, no longer able to deny the draw they feel to one another. Amidst sorrow and loss, they finally open up to one another to reveal pasts that make any future together impossible. They must navigate beyond the chasm of misunderstanding and differences in religion if they ever want to win a chance at love and belonging.