Cape Town, 1899. Diamond tycoon Cecil Rhodes believes that he has only months to live, and that the only thing that can save him is the sound of English birdsong. He recruits Francis Wills, the world's leading expert in birdsong, to transport two hundred birds to Cape Town; but confused by the change of season and hemisphere, they refuse to sing. This is but the first obstacle for Wills, who finds himself irresistibly drawn to intrigue, in a country on the brink of war.
