After the death of his best friend, Shane Dunphy runs away from his life working at a special needs creche, and attempts to avoid his child protection instincts. However, when a part time journalism job in rural Ireland leads him to a family in desperate need of intervention, and a young girl crying out for protection, Shane cannot stand idly by and watch…Little Emma Blaney lives with her three siblings in an ancient farmhouse, with a life that is like something from another time - no running water, no electricity, and no contact with the outside world. Whilst covering a land dispute between Emma’s father Tom and his powerful brother Gerry, Shane discovers that there is a lot more wrong with the family than just a feud. The children are filthy, nervous and and undernourished.

In order to protect Emma and her siblings, Shane finds himself at loggerheads with the church, local government, big business, property developers and industrial farmers. But Shane must discover the truth about the Girl from Yesterday, before it is too late, even if it will cost him his new life…