John Newcombe's search will propel him back to a pivotal time in NSW when the penal colony was transforming into a democracy. John's paternal ancestor played an important role in the fight for freedom of the press. But behind the facade of middle-class respectability, John will discover his two-times-great grandmother was hiding her convict past. Then, exploring his maternal line, John follows his three-times great grandfather's footsteps to the Loyalty Islands, now part of New Caledonia. John's forebear was hoping to trade sandalwood, but the expedition was a disaster. At the site of a bloody ambush John learns of the cannibalistic tribe his ancestor encountered.