It is Amsterdam, October of 1891. Karel Boissevain, the son of a successful shipowner, suffers from severe asthma, and is persuaded by his doctor to leave the Netherlands for the fresh air of Canada. Accompanied by one of his sisters, Heleen, they board a luxury steam liner to Montreal before taking a train to Alberta, where Karel will begin work with a CPR survey crew during a cold winter in Crowsnest Pass. The siblings stay in touch with their family from across the Atlantic, swapping stories of family business and letters of support. arel has also left behind his fiance, Wil de Vos. This devastating and intensely emotional period is captured with great feeling and honesty in their letters. The future remains uncertain for all, but their connections are unbroken.