Sheilagh Fielding (a character from Johnston's previous novel The colony of unrequited dreams) travels to the deserted island of Loreburn off the coast of Newfoundland with two trunks of provisions for an extended stay. She hopes to relearn how to live her life amidst the wildlife that will be her companions, but discovers that another person is on the island with her--someone who will change her beliefs about the life she has lived.