1838: Northumberland, England. When lighthouse keeper's daughter, Grace Darling, is involved in the daring rescue of the stranded survivors of a terrible shipwreck, she becomes one of the most celebrated women of her age. But the friendship that develops between Grace and an artist who sets out to capture her subtle beauty, is far more precious to her than her unwanted fame. 1938: Newport, Rhode Island. Nineteen-years-old, pregnant and in disgrace, Matilda Emmerson has been banished from Ireland to stay with her reclusive relative, Harriet, the assistant lighthouse keeper. When a discarded, half-finished portrait opens a window into her family history, Matilda finds her destiny inextricably linked to Grace Darling.