Shipwrecked off the coast of Western Australia in 1835, Dorothea Newell, a young English woman, is marooned on an island in this compelling novel based on a true story. A raw tale of survival unfolds as Dorothea and the other castaways come to terms with the seal hunters encamped on the island and with the desolate environment. Also depicted are the reassimilation challenges that Dorothea faces when she returns to civilization.