Philippa Marshall arrives on isolated Bennett's Island as a young war widow eager to provide for her son. The insular island community initially welcomes her as the teacher in their one-room schoolhouse, but when she champions a clutch of neglected children, she finds herself thrust in the midst of a smoldering conflict between two prominent families. The prospect of a lobster war between the Bennetts and Campions threatens the livelihoods of everyone who calls Bennett's Island home.
Philippa must grapple with her sense of loyalty to her deceased husband, even as her feelings for Steve Bennett blossom against the rugged coastal landscape. She longs to be reunited with her son, but she's troubled by the specter of latent strife that lies beneath the tranquil surface of the island community. Philippa must weigh the balance of her heart and her mind and plot the course of her destiny.