A mysterious bottle comes into the hands of a young Irish girl. Tara Maguire struggles to reunite with her parents, who have lost their farm, and are forced to leave Ireland during the potato famine in 1847. Twelve-year-old Tara must stay in Ireland for one year, working as a servant on Squire Chase Dellamort's estate, to repay a family debt.

At the end of her indentured service, the squire reneges on his promise to send her home by falsely accusing her of stealing. Tara flees the estate with her little dog, Bailey. With the help of a family of Irish Tinkers, and a mysterious Emerald Bottle, Tara journeys across the Atlantic ocean, and through the wilderness of Canada, in an effort to find her family.