Colonial Sydney in the final weeks of the nineteenth century: a city striving for union and nationhood but dogged by divisions so deep they threaten to derail, not just the Federation, but the colony itself. There are chasms opening, too, in the well-to-do household of aspiring politician Alasdair and Eleanor Dunleavy, when a clandestine note reaches the wrong hands. Below stairs, their maid Alice faces a desperate situation with her wayward sister. Brilliant, evocative and heartfelt, this is the sweeping story of three people, their passions and ambitions, and the far-flung ripples their choices will cause. Despite sharing a house, Eleanor, Alice and Alasdair are each alone in their torment and must each find some solution, but at what cost to themselves and those they love?
