Mexico, El Dia de los Muertos, 1921. Penniless and hunted, Nello, Dugger and his lover Kate make a spectacular moonlit jailbreak and set sail for the paradise of the South Seas. But they fall prey to the intrigue of two mysterious stowaways: Darina, a young Irish escapee from the brutal Magdalene nuns, in search of her lost twin; and Guillaume, a seasoned French spy sent to kill the leader of an anti-colonial uprising.

Set in the fiercely beautiful volcanic islands of French Polynesia, this enthralling historical adventure is the story of man against the fury of the elements; of dreams colliding with reality; of an anguished ancient culture combating tyranny. From a savage storm at sea, to cannibalism and exotic sexual rites, to a study of two women--one desperate to remember her past, the other as determined to forget it--their exhilarating voyage, becomes a true test of love, faith and friendship.