In a landscape as beautiful as it is brutal, in a culture both ancient and new, two very different young people struggle for understanding and survival. Set in the heady gold rush days of mid-nineteenth century Australia, this is a modern story of the search for belonging.

Ella, the daughter of a grazier, grows up on an isolated, drought-ridden Queensland property, seeking her place in the harsh environment. Lok and his father arrive from China in search of gold and are caught up in the infamous Lambing Flat riots. When and Ella's and Lok's paths cross, they begin to discover what it is to belong.