Kate Grenville wrote a poignant historical novel about a lonely heart, lost among the endless ocean, about love and tenderness that breaks the shell of loneliness, and about care in relationships with those who are close to nature and the land on which they have lived for centuries. In 1788, colonists landed on the coast of Australia with guns and an unshakable belief in the omnipotence of the British Empire. And with them is Lieutenant Daniel Rook. In his youth, an outsider and mathematical prodigy, and now an excellent astronomer and meteorologist, he has another undoubted talent: he communicates without problems with the natives. Next to him is a charming local girl, Tagaran. Together with her, he easily overcomes the linguistic and cultural gap. But is this kind of communication necessary for white settlers laying claim to the richest lands in New South Wales? The novel is based on the notebooks of Lieutenant William Dawes, an officer in the Royal Marines.