Sixteen-year-old Glendora Stamford was raised by her older brother, Thomas, after their parents died of a fever that raged through their village in Northern Wales. He adored and spoiled her. But now, the only world she knows is turned upside down when her brother receives a letter from America and suddenly announces that they are relocating there. On their journey from Wales to the English coast, to board a ship to America, Glendora discovers there is another world filled with excitement, and romance. She also experiences heartache when she is forced to remain behind. While her brother sails without her.