Brothers torn apart. A remote Pacific island. A clash of cultures-and of faith.In 1862, New York sailor Tom Ballard is stranded on a quake-plagued island, abandoned by his ship. An angry pirate prowls the shore; deeper inland, Tom encounters Sara and Daisuke Ogawa, a marooned Japanese sister and brother. Though united by the need to survive the wilderness and the growing pirate threat, the three castaways struggle with opposing cultures, suspicion, and sharply different beliefs about God.
Meanwhile, aboard the departing ship, Terry Ballard races to save his brother. But his quest for help thrusts him into a court trial in Nagasaki-and into the schemes of ruthless treasure hunters.

Survival-and any hope of rescue- will test faith, challenge loyalties, and lead to the question: In darkness, how can light be found?