When Nokomis Pennyform arrives on the doorstep of Major Thomas Nateby-Dyce's cottage in the early spring of 1841, the comparative peace and serenity of the Major's family life is abruptly shattered. For Nokomis, with her Red Indian blood, her dark and brooding manner, her screeching voice and dubious past, is nothing less than a destructive force. But Nateby himself has a murky past, and with the arrival of Nokomis it starts to rise to the surface once again. It seems that only disaster and tragedy lie ahead unless she can be crushed.