Maria Bowring (1817-1899) was the daughter of Sir John Bowring and his first wife, also called Maria. This story goes through Maria's life, as if she were writing it in a diary, and encompasses such things as her time in a convent, being poisoned, being shipwrecked, and having many of her beloved family members die. It is based on newspaper articles and books about her father, as well as letters from the various children to and from their parents. Some of the details in the book are historical fiction.