1600s: Hawaiian fishermen attempt to carve a life on a small island of rugged beauty. Mid-century, those who've survived the tsunamis and floods flee the place forever, dubbing it Kaumaha - Misery Island. 1847: King Kamehameha rids himself of Kaumaha in a sale to Reverend Amyas Lathrop of Massachusetts. But then a mysterious illness devastates the island year after year. Present day: Ogden Lathrop hates Kaumaha, and his apathy has ruined all that his ancestors built. He is beyond thrilled when he closes a deal to sell the crumbling tax liability to a local developer - villagers and family be damned. But the Lathrop women feel differently. Family matriarch Eleanor seeks a fair solution for all involved, while her strong-willed granddaughter, Lani, born of two cultures, vows she will protect the island and its people to the last. Can an island named Misery ever hope for a better future?