Jack Dawkins

At age 13, Jack was arrested for theft and imprisoned. There, he meets a young French girl, an orphan and a thief, locked up not only for her crimes but also because in these troubled times, the British distrusted and despised the French. Isolated and mistreated by the other prisoners, she finds an unexpected ally in Jack. Together, they hatch a daring escape plan and manage to flee the prison. Determined to leave their past behind them, they stowaway on a ship bound for Australia. In the Port Victory penal colony, Jack trains in surgery thanks to a caring doctor, while the young girl becomes a nurse. They become a surgeon and a nurse in the same hospital in Australia living together in a small room on the second floor of the hospital. Having been together for a long time now, a special bond has been created between them, linking friendship and hidden love. But their new life is threatened when Fagin, Jack's former criminal mentor, resurfaces and attempts to draw him back into the world of theft and manipulation. Jack and his friend will then have to fight to protect the life they have built for themselves, while navigating a corrupt and ruthless colonial society.