Fleeing their pandemic-stricken homelands, a shipload of migrant workers departs the UK, dreaming of a fresh start in prosperous Australia. For nine-year-old Cleary Sullivan, deaf for three years, the journey promises adventure and new friendships; for Glaswegian songstress Billie Galloway, it's a chance to put a shameful mistake firmly behind her; while impoverished English schoolteacher Tom Garnett hopes to set his future on a brighter path. But when a crew member is found murdered and passengers start. 
 
The book is inspired by the true story of the Ticonderoga, a ‘fever ship’ full of migrant workers that reached Melbourne in 1852 and led to the creation of Australia’s first quarantine station. This book, selected by Australia’s Melbourne, was called “clever,” “gripping” and “powerful” by reviewers.