Decades after Bride Covey disappears in the ocean under mysterious circumstances, a flash drive will change Eleanor Bennett's life forever.

Siblings set aside their differences to deal with their mother's death--and her hidden past, an odyssey of discovery that takes them from the Caribbean to London to California and ends with her famous black cake. In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett's death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a voice recording, and a traditional Caribbean black cake made from a family recipe with a long history. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. As ,Eleanor's heartbreaking story unfolds, the secrets she still holds back and the mystery of a long-lost child challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their family, and themselves.