Based closely on the life of the painter Paul Gaugin, this book relates the life of Charles Strickland, a London stockbroker who abandons his home and career in mid-life to live as an artist in Tahiti.
Revered as one of Tahiti's wisest women, Materena Mahi, a professional cleaner, finds her resolve challenged by her young daughter, who questions her at every turn and resists Materena's efforts to mold her into an ideal young woman.