Deep in the stacks of the Bodleian Library, a young man opens a small packet of sand, buried among crates of notes from the first missionaries to the South Pacific. A memento from the scene of a century-old murder, that envelope and its dusty contents send Charles Montgomery on a remarkable quest to find its island source in the forgotten archipelago of Melanesia.

Diana is trying to get pregnant. Her fertility doctor advises her to relax. She convinces Jay to transfer to the small South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, said to be the most relaxing place on earth. It isn't long before she realizes that the island's tropical beauty hides dangers and disappointments that will test her courage, her marriage, and her ability to open herself up to new possibilities.