Its the spring of 1913, and Katie and her family join her father in the tiny settlement of Foxs Cove. The fishing life is tough and demanding, and as autumn draws near, Katies father is lost at sea. Katies mother stubbornly refuses to leave the outport, and waits for him to return even when all hope is lost. The tragedy is compounded when Katies entire family falls ill and her mother dies. Katie awakens after her illness in the orphanage run by the Grenfell mission. Shes relieved that one of her sisters has been saved with her, but is devastated by the disappearance of her youngest sister, who has been adopted by a well-to-do photographer and his family.