It's 1892. Amid a fevered gold rush, 14-year-old Clara Saunders is in search of adventure in the new outback town of Coolgardie. A friendship with cheeky young water carter Jack is a promising start, but the goldfields are a harsh place, where water is scarce, disease is common and where many men will never find the fortune they've come to seek. With unforeseen tragedies on the horizon, Clara's time in the dusty town will truly test the limits of her fierceness and determination.