Ruth Brennan, born into abject poverty in the City of York at the end of the 19th century, develops into a character of great courage, passion and determination, possessing a more indomitable spirit on every turn of the page, as she desperately tries to flee the demons of her past. Follow Ruth on her epic journey from birth and early carefree schooldays, through the tragic loss of her parents and cruelty suffered at the Orphanage, before fleeing to make the long, arduous trek toward the coast in search of work. But, by chance, along the way, she stumbles upon a small hamlet set in the very heart of the wild, untamed beauty of the North Yorkshire moors where, at barely sixteen years old, she finds true friendship, religion and love.