In times of deepest need, with no promise of improvement, Johann Oppel, his wife Barbara, and their little girls Margaretha and Elisabeth are struggling. Life is hard and meager, yet there is said to be a land where everything is possible, where one can make something of their existence through hard work and intelligence. Thus, the desire to embark on a completely foreign new world grows. Soon, they set off on the long journey to America, their hearts full of hope and confidence. However, the crossing turns into a nightmare. A terrible stroke of fate strikes the family. The novel is based on events that have occurred in one form or another. Information from the old Oppel letters has been incorporated, including details of the family's tragedy. It is an exciting journey into the 19th century, a time when much was still a great adventure and the courage of the emigrants was boundless.