Facing death, for horse theft in Wales, Hugh Hughes is mercifully transported to New South Wales in 1830 for 14 years. His journey to freedom in the Hunter Valley on the Glendon Estate places him in the midst of a tumultuous time in colonial NSW history. Influential squatters, such as the Scott family, wrestle for power and land against indigenous tribes, the scourge of bushrangers and the attempts by the Governor of New South Wales to establish authority and discipline on the colony's boundaries. Hugh Hughes struggles with his own temptations with the lash not far from his back. Crossing paths with murderous escaped convicts and the notorious Hall family, death and misfortune continue to stalk him. As a ticket of leave holder and well known horse breeder, he meets the indefatigable Frances Fox, an orphaned immigrant girl who makes her way to Sydney in the hope of claiming a better life than famine struck Ireland could offer. Together they carve out a meager existence and raise a family.