This historical epic takes place in nineteenth-century New Zealand when it was still known as Aotearoa. The British colonial presence is making itself felt on these South Pacific islands, specifically in the settler town of Epworth, where two powerful but warring Māori tribes reign. A British preacher, Thomas Munro, arrives in town. As he encounters life in these lands, he soon learns how to navigate within this realm of crisscrossing cultures and traditions.