Devotees of historical novels will quickly become absorbed in this suspense-filled adventure set in 19th-century England, about the misadventures of an Irish peasant and the young son of an English lord who cross paths before boarding a ship bound for America. Among the masses abandoning their Irish homes to escape famine, disease, and poverty in 1851 are 12-year-old Patrick and his older sister, Maura, who are joining their father in America.

As they pass through the port city of Liverpool, they join an assortment of England's own unfortunates and malcontents. Among them is 11-year-old Laurence, penniless and hopelessly confused, who regrets having fled his wealthy home in London in a fit of rage. Patrick and Laurence meet only briefly, but long enough to seal their fate. As the dank, dirty back alleys of Liverpool come alive through the struggles of the three children, the scenes shift rapidly, challenging readers to keep track of a tangle of Dickensian characters ranging from the misguided to the malevolent.