Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - 1994 Determined to find a story about the former "Pearl of the Pacific", journalist Isabel Lee journeys to Rabaul after the town is destroyed by a volcanic eruption. But when Isabel comes across a curious old photograph, she begins to unravel a history she could never have imagined. Rabaul, New Guinea - 1942 Henry Meyer, the son of German/Australian plantation owners, has never been the same since tragedy struck during the 1937 eruption of Tavurvur. Now he's determined to live up to his family's expectations, but being in love with Lin, a Chinese woman, makes that difficult. When the bombing of Pearl Harbor brings war to New Guinea and Henry learns that Lin won't be evacuated with the European women, he sets out to protect her, until the Japanese invade and he's forced to flee. Meanwhile, his mother Emma refuses to leave Rabaul and enlists as a nurse with the Australian women who've stayed behind. Will Henry and Emma risk everything in the hope of keeping their family alive, or will they be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice? For fans of Anthea Hodgson and Kristin Hannah, comes this World War Two historical novel based on true events from the Pacific War in New Guinea.