After Mary sees her grandmother accused of witchcraft and hung for the crime, she is hurried to safety by an unknown woman who gives her tools to keep a record of her days — paper and ink. Then Mary is taken to a boat in Plymouth and from there sails to the New World where she hopes to make a new life among the pilgrims. But old superstitions die hard and soon Mary finds that she will have to make important choices to ensure her survival. Vividly evoked, this is a powerful literary achievement by Celia Rees that is utterly engrossing from start to finish.