Paradise may be little more than a seaweed roof and a slumber by a rotten old totem pole. In the most isolated of human havens, old fishermen never quench their salty tongues. In a more gritty tale, rum would be in order. In a more lustful saga, romance would be a must. In forlorn Crab Island, shells and cups of weak-kneed chai are all that each day brings. Hemlock blames the jackdaws, while his daughters, quite naturally, put all the blame on him. Hemlock Crab has given up the sea to become a recluse. His daughters Daisy, Nettle, and Clover are far from elated. Anguished, frustrated, and hungry for food and husbands, they strive to untie the domestic knot that binds them to their father. Their resolve shakes the tranquillity of green Crab Island.