主人公是三个相互没有关联的陌生人，但他们渐渐意识到他们的梦有共同点——他们的梦是一个完整梦境的三个组成部分。他们每人都有一个独特的任务，但那些任务（一个要寻找失踪的女友，一个要寻找失散的儿子，一个要寻找治疗母亲紧张性精神症的方法）只能在潜意识中找到。可是当他们进一步利用梦境世界来达到自己的隐秘目的时，他们发现梦境似乎想告诉他们某些事情，而且他们的现实生活正面临危险。更重要的是，他们共同的梦可能关乎全世界的命运。

WilliamThornhill,anilliterateThamesbargemanandamanofquicktemperbutdeepfeelings,stealsaloadoftimberandistransportedtoNewSouthWalesin1806.Likemanyoftheconvicts,he’spardonedwithinafewyearsandsettlesonthebanksoftheHawkesburyRiver.PerhapstheGovernorgrantshimthelandorperhapshejusttakesit-theHawkesburyisattheextremeedgeofsettlementatthattimeandnormalrulesdon’tapply.Howeverhegetstheland,it’sprimeriverfrontacreage.Itlookscertaintomakehimrich.There’sjustoneproblemwiththatland:it’salreadyowned.It’sbeenpartoftheterritoryoftheDarugpeopleforperhapsfortythousandyears.Theyhaven’tleftfencesorroadsorhouses,buttheyliveonthatlandanduseit,justassurelyasThornhill’splanningtodo.Theyaren’tgoingtohandovertheirlandwithoutafight.Spearsmaybeprimitiveweapons,butsettlersknowthattheycankillamanassurelyasaballofleadfromamusket.Asherealisesallthis,Thornhillfacesanimpossiblechoice.Someofhisneighbours-SmasherSullivan,SagittyBirtles-regardtheDarugashardlyhuman,savageswithaslittlerighttolandasadog.WhentheDarugobjecttobeingdrivenoff,thosesettlershavenocompunctioninshootingorpoisoningthem.Otherneighboursmakeadifferentchoice,andfindwaystoco-existwiththeDarug.Blackwoodhasmadeafamilyamongthem.MrsHerring"givesthemwhentheyask".Hostilitybetweenblacksandwhitesgraduallyescalates.Finallyagroupofsettlersdecidestogooutand"settle"theDarugforonceandforall.WillThornhilljointhem?Thedecisionhemakesiswithhimfortherestofhislife.