Returning home to London, England, in 1853, after military service in India, Nathaniel discovers his worst fears. He has leprosy. He must abandon his family and everything he loves rather than expose them to this dreaded disease. After years of isolation, the loneliness and longing for his family are more than Nathaniel can bear. When he discovers an abandoned baby girl, he experiences his first human touch in years. This small baby, exposed to leprosy, changes the hearts of a community.