John Penhale has been served an ultimatum in the will of his Aunt Selina: "Marry within the year or lose your inheritance." Fighting off an attack by a highwayman as he returns to his farm near Lamorna, he is followed home by Teresa - a gypsy girl who changes his life forever. The Owls' House follows the fortunes of John and Teresa Penhale and their two children Ortho and Eli - exploits that turn a family saga into a rip-roaring adventure sweeping across Cornwall, Morocco and the high seas