This is the story of Emma Granby, a young woman of sheltered privilege and vague longings, who, on a whim, enters a world alien to her own and makes a journey, not in time and space but in exploring her capacity for love, understanding and compassion. The startling results of this journey cause Emma to reshape her values and alter her commitments, as she responds to the tragedy of shattered lives, the challenges of love, the resilience of hope and the truth that lies at the heart of every human drama.