Molly McKenzie is only eleven years old when her abusive father beats her to within an inch of her life. Escaping from the hovel she calls home, Molly is found by kind fisherfolk, sick and near death. With them, she experiences the love of a family for the first time; and even though life is hard, she is content. Time passes, and Molly is looking ahead to a future with the boy she loves - until a terrible tragedy rips her life apart. Once again she's cast adrift in an uncaring world - but she is made of stern stuff and is determined to survive.In the male-dominated society of the early 1900s, Molly has to fight prejudice and hatred, and rejection comes from all sides. Can she hold fast and become the woman she is destined to be?