It's 1718. Pirate ships sail the oceans and brutal slave masters control the plantations. Eleven-year-old Abigail Buckler lives with her father in the Caribbean. Her clothes are made of finest muslin so she can't play in them - not that there's anyone to play with anyway. She isn't even allowed to go out alone. But when pirates attack Abigail's life will change forever. Suddenly her old certainties about right and wrong good and bad start to unravel. And maybe she doesn't have to be so ladylike after all . . .