It is 1847 and the Irish are battling famine and sickness. Matt Donahee is doing his best to keep a positive outlook. But when both his mother and fiancee die within days of each other, Matt decides to leave his despair behind in Ireland and travel to America in search of a better life.

Three weeks later, twenty-two-year-old Matt arrives at New York Harbor where he is immediately recruited to help build a railroad. Determined to earn enough money to bring his father and brothers to New York, Matt immerses himself in his work. After his path leads him to meet the beautiful Jade Malloy, she quickly captures his heart and they marry. She is strong and dedicated to her causes. He is tough and smart. Together, they work hard and display unwavering integrity while building their family. As time passes and future generations of Donahees face difficult courtships, new business ventures, war, and loss, each becomes determined to do better than those who came before them and make the world a decent place.

In this historical novel, a young man escapes the great hunger of Ireland to create a legacy in America based on the values and work ethic learned in his beloved homeland.