In England the land of New Zealand is being promoted as the new promised land. William (13) sets sail with his family on the Adelaide in September 1839, bound for Port Nicholson, New Zealand. The Donahues are assisted emigrants, part of Edward Gibbon Wakefield's scheme to populate New Zealand. William's father intends to set up a general store which he hopes will become Donahue and Sons. Will has other ideas. The journey is fraught with problems and scandal, even death. When they arrive, the family rapidly realises that they have been misinformed about the settlement of Port Nicholson. In addition, they find that all the goods they have brought to sell, are the very goods other immigrants have made sure they have with them. Their new life is a disaster. And the local Maori are not happy with the NZ Company's arrangements for taking over their land.