It is 1864, and Josh and Miriam Retallick return home from Africa to find the men and women hungry—and Lottie, an unmistakable Trago in looks and spirit—guarding goats on Bodmin Moor. Josh soon takes stock of these hard times and becomes a driving force in his native land. Meanwhile, Jane Trago, a sensual woman but an unfeeling mother, sweeps in to take up her new trade in the local tavern. Against the fluctuating fortunes of the Sharptor mine, we follow Lottie as she is drawn first to Jethro Shovell, a dedicated trade unionist, and then to the smooth-talking, aristocratic Hawken Strike.