Based on the real life adventures of  ambitious botanist Robert Fortune this is an unforgettable tale set in Victorian London and 1840s China – just as the Opium War draws to a close.
Desperate to shield her from scandal, Mary’s brother-in-law, Robert Fortune, forces her to accompany him on a mission to steal tea plants for the East India Company from the tea farms in the interior, where all Europeans are banned. His task is both difficult and dangerous – the British are still regarded as enemies by the Chinese and exporting tea bushes carries the death sentence. In these harsh conditions Mary grieves for her London life and the baby she has been forced to leave behind while her fury at Robert intensifies.
As their quest becomes increasingly treacherous, Robert and Mary disguise themselves as a mandarin and man-servant. Thousands of miles from everything familiar, Mary revels in her new freedom and the Chinese way of life. When danger strikes she finds unexpected reserves of courage.