Can a legacy of hate ever be overcome... Maura Deverell lives with her ailing mother in the beautiful Irish hamlet of Clonmacnoise, where the locals still believe in ancient magic. Their cruel landlord Seamus Riordan threatens to throw the women out of their cottage unless Maura agrees to marry his young son, Liam Riordan. But before Maura can decide, she is brutally raped by Liam's brother Padraig, who is determined to use the beautiful Maura for his own pleasure. Ireland is locked in the grips of the potato famine, but Maura though weakened by hunger, still finds the strength to defy the Riordans. On her deathbed, Maura's mother makes her promise to leave Ireland for good, whilst cursing the Riordans with her powerful magic. Escaping to Birmingham, Maura tries to rebuild her life, but all the time she longs for home. Will it ever be safe for her to return to her beloved Ireland?