Hattie is an adventurous 18-year-old girl with a heart full of dreams, longing for a life off of Holland Island, Maryland-a place slowly slipping beneath the waves of the Chesapeake Bay. She yearns for a brighter future, one far removed from the encroaching water and the quiet despair of island life. But everything changes when she encounters Wesley, a rugged oysterman with a spirit as wild as the sea itself. Instant chemistry ignites between them, and their romance blossoms like wildflowers against the harsh backdrop of their surroundings. Yet, as they navigate the exhilarating highs and daunting lows of young love, they must confront a series of formidable challenges: a world at war, unrelenting storms, and the looming threat of the Spanish flu. Will their love withstand the tempests of life at the turn of the century, or will the struggles of living on the bay tear them apart?