In the early 1930???s, the small independent nation of Newfoundland is entering a silent time, about to submit to a form of dictatorship in order to resolve its straightened financial circumstances. As a result, Dulcie Merrigan, a young deaf girl living on a remote shore is being denied her right to an education. Neither she nor her mother, Leona, can successfully contend with the political and economic forces that so drastically affect their lives. After turning in vain to her friend and political representative, William Cantwell, Leona realizes that the time has come to unearth her tragic past. Specifically, a stolen shipment of valuable postage stamps, a remnant of the painful silent time that she herself endured, lies hidden in a nearby wood. Will they hold the key to Dulcie??'s last chance for liberation and education?