Matilda lives on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, where a rebellion is tearing apart the province. When Mr. Watts, the only white man on the island, becomes the new school teacher, he begins to read Charles Dickens' novel "Great Expectations" aloud to the class. As a result, Matilda falls in love with 19th century London and the novel's lead character, Pip. But, Matilda's religious mother is not happy with her daughter's passion for learning and soon takes action against Mr. Watts.