Cultural belies and family traditions collide during a turbulent time in Maui history, when changing social forces cause both locals and newcomers to renegotiate their relationships to one another and the past. Newly arrived to the island after a failed marriage, Lucia Gray is seeking solitude. Instead, she finds a society undergoing cultural and social change, where the influence of tradition strongly affects the course of the present. She also discovers that the past is a living presence, with Hawaiian spiritual beliefs continuing to influence lives. In her interracial relationship, Lucia must reconcile her desires with prevailing social pressures, and find compromise in which both Hawaiian and Caucasian values can co-exist.
