Sylvia Honeyeater grows up in rural Australia during the Depression, surrounded by poverty, violence and adults who fail to protect her. Intelligent and observant, she survives by creating an inner world and learning to rely on her own judgement. Her story follows the difficult path from childhood into womanhood as she encounters exploitation, loneliness, friendship and unexpected kindness. Historical events and social attitudes shape the choices available to her, yet Sylvia repeatedly finds ways to preserve dignity and hope. Bryce Courtenay presents her life through a distinctive voice that combines innocence with hard-earned understanding. The novel is a sweeping account of endurance, identity and the strength required to escape the patterns created by family and circumstance.