Orchids hold many secrets; like their habitats, they are exotic. In nineteenth-century China, their mystery attracted people - both good and bad - to seek them out. This story is about the coming-of-age of two young men, both of whom have been influenced by Stamford Raffles, founder of modern Singapore. From the Oxford Physic Garden, Edmund Beaumont embarks upon a plant-collecting expedition to China. Upon reaching Singapore, he meets two people who will become a significant part of his life. The first is Dick, a talented Papuan artist. Travelling together from Macao to Guangzhou, Dick and Edmund explore rivers and streams, mountains and villages, but there is always someone watching. When Edmund acquires a rare orchid, he and Dick hatch a plan to fool the man in the shadows, but he is someone who thrives on deceit and nothing is straightforward. Dick takes the orchid to Singapore; Edmund continues to Sumatra. His memory of the other person he met in Singapore - a beautiful young Chinese woman – continues to distract him. A chance encounter with two strangers enables him to present her with a very special gift on his return.

In Elisabeth Conway’s Hope Dares to Blossom, we experience a world where well-intentioned men ventured into the unknown and the lengths to which their unscrupulous adversaries went to support illegal trade. It is a world where friendships flourish and courage triumphs.