After enduring a series of unforeseen hardships, Tom and Maggie Ross are thriving in Northern Ireland. But just when it seems like they've left their troubles behind them, a fever plague and a ruinous potato blight shatter the lives they've worked so hard to rebuild. With Maggie's mind in tatters, Tom must make the decisions for what's left of their family -- and he commits an error that threatens any hope of their survival. Now the clock is ticking. Can he correct his mistake in time, or will the Rosses be swallowed up by poverty and famine?