Set in a pivotal moment in our history, this love story is about how we once were, or might have been. A tarot-reading Frenchwoman and a paua-shell memorial to a dead soldier play an important role in this gritty love story. Set in a central North Island town in New Zealand during the 1930s Depression, The Paua Tower explores the relationship of a group of people struggling to survive and make sense of a bitter time. It is the story of Vic Cowan, unemployed activist, and Stella Morgan, the sweetheart who must save herself; it tells of Jack Baldwin, the disabled bank manager who sees visions; and Roland Crawford the doubting clergyman. Faith is lost and found, corruption is rife and innocence destroyed, but through it all love blossoms and hope endures.