The year is 1804 and Lizzie Short, a street smart and spunky 9-year-old street waif in the dockland area of London, England during the Napoleonic Wars, finds herself beginning a new life following the deportation of her friends who are caught stealing food. Heartbroken, she wanders the streets and one day witnesses an old sailor hurt by a rampaging carriage. Going to his aid, this becomes a life-changing event in her young life. She will meet Quon Lee, a boy of similar age, who becomes her friend and business partner and these young entrepreneurs set to work to make a difference in the downtrodden area.