Charlotte Williamson Thorpe--Wim--comes from a long line of sea captains based out of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Since her best friend died the summer before, all Wim wants is to be left alone, to finish her senior year in peace and spend time with her dogs and the horses at Dune Stables.
But soon people start entering Wim's life as if com- ing in on the tide. First she sees the man with the tattooed face. He seems to be trying to tell her something. Next Aunt Kia arrives. Then there's David Te Makara, a compelling visitor from New Zealand who has moved into the cottage behind her house to research her family history. He has his fifteen-year-old niece with him, and Wim can't help but react to Tangi's strong opinions.
Soon Wim's quiet and safe routine is turned upside down, spilling out secrets too painful to face and too important to ignore. One of the mysteries is an antique journal, written in code by a boy who knew her most famous ancestor, Captain Charles Williamson Thorpe, who sailed away to New Zealand on a merchant vessel and returned to the Cape on a ship laden with secrets.
It will take every ounce of Wim's courage to sift through the secrets and open her heart to love again.