When 12-year-old Clayton McGhee journeys north with his parents in search of a new life, they must build a homestead with their own labour and defend their right to own land from powerful vested interests and deep rooted prejudice. 30 years later, Clayton is still forced to defend his family from racism and greed. But life is more complex now, as the men of influence in this increasingly mixed community find to their cost. This novel charts the massive changes in the United States following the death of Lincoln.