As the battle-fit men of Bennett's Island are called to fight in World War II, many of the other inhabitants head to the mainland as well. The small island community becomes a bit of a ghost town, though Joanna Bennett keeps the home fires burning. Rather than dwelling on her husband's fate in the Pacific Theatre, she devotes her time to the raising of her young son, and keeping an eye on her wild and troubled brother. Even when she is forced into boarding an unwanted guest in her home, she plays her role of hostess flawlessly if coolly, but the guest soon proves his mettle, helping the Bennetts contend with both natural and human elements. When Joanna's heart softens towards the kind and handsome young man, she finds herself fighting to be true to her absent husband, and facing down old ghosts from her past. As the final book of the Tide Trilogy, this wartime story transports readers to the beautiful and rugged Maine coast, where families must eke out their livelihoods from the tempestuous ocean but in return they're afforded the daily splendor and simple pleasures of island life.