Warning: This book is not suitable for children and young adults as it contains adult material as well as dealing with adult themes such as domestic abuse and violence, illegitimacy, suicide, and the varying response to the death of loved ones. When his father and brother drown at sea, nineteen-year-old Lewis Franklin is forced to grow up fast as he faces the new challenges and responsibilities of looking after his widowed mother, Anna, sister in law, Alice, and infant nephew, Daniel. In London, Lewis befriends retired merchant sea-man, Abraham "Abe" Fleming, and the two men forge a bond of friendship that matures through the years much as Lewis becomes a hero to his nephew, Daniel, as the boy grows to manhood. Lewis is forced to learn some of life's harsher lessons, yet retains his dignity and spirit throughout. This is a tale of the enduring friendship between men and women as they suffer loss, discover dark secrets and survive the harsh realities of life in the late Victorian era.