Marie and her family are safe inside their little home, but outside on the wild moor stands Jarvis, watching their bothy. He is bare foot and unkempt. Why is he watching them and why is it that he is so often close to places where there is trouble? Is Marie right to fear this strange man?

It is a troubling time for the inhabitants of the Lonely Island. Their taxes are high, the climate is changing, survival is a struggle and now their limited resources are further depleted by theft. Who is stealing their food, and who beat up the old man, Holti?

While the folk of the little village of Gamla Huss try to support themselves and the refugees who so recently arrived among them, Marie and her family are determined to find out what is going on. They struggle with worsening weather, with unfriendly wealthy islanders, and to track down both the thief and a mysterious benefactor.

In the third book of the Lonely Island series, we meet many of the characters who first appeared in the earlier stories. Once again, the reader encounters ancient customs, fascinating characters, human failings and, in the end, the triumph of ordinary people.