In this third book in the series, the Belleville family begin to rebuild their shattered lives. Wrongly believing they are safe from the madman Alistair McGovern, he escapes from custody to attempt one final act of vengeance. In the aftermath of this final desperate act, each of them must come to terms with the events of the past.
Her marriage in tatters, Julia Belleville begins to question whether she can rebuild her relationship with her first love American surgeon Dr Philippe Duval, even as they both immerse themselves in the life of their daughter Pippa, who expects they will marry. Julia's elder brother Richard, determined to gain custody of his two sons, laments the failure of his marriage to Catherine, who has returned to England and is already looking elsewhere. Yet Richard too finds himself unexpectedly falling in love against his better judgement even as he confronts Philippe over his troubling behaviour.
Meanwhile, it is William and Alice who provide the stability of a settled family life. Yet they too are caught up in the unsettled lives of the people they love.
In this dramatic third instalment of the Belleville story, there are many twists and turns as the family rebuild their lives. Set against the backdrop of the world of the 1950s, the story takes readers from the countryside to Australia's great harbour city of Sydney, to London and to Derbyshire, and to New York.
But in the end, it is the sprawling Australian cattle station Prior Park that draws the Belleville family members back to their country origins time and again.
It is where their hearts belong.