On a wild November night in 1792, highlander Gaddy Patterson strays into the staid lowland parish of Balnesmoor and stumbles on a dead girl and her baby.
So beings Gaddy's struggle to scrape a living for herself and her adopted daughter Elspeth. Soon, she has a child of her own, Anna, to contend with as well. The highland woman's valiant search for acceptance unleashes a storm of scorn and hatred among the elders of Balnesmoor - and uncovers their long-hidden secrets.
