A young scoundrel commits a heinous deed against a jaded, independent farmer woman. Can she forgive him and forge a trustworthy relationship?
Maggie Stern lives in 1850's Washington Territory, where she owns & operates a hops farm in the rugged Pacific Northwest. She's jaded, reclusive, and withdrawn, but a woman of growing faith.
A young scoundrel stumbles onto Maggie's farm and begs for work. He has his own shady past full of drink, women, and failure as a son, but as they work together, they become close and eventually fall in love.
Both young people are flawed and angry, and Joel commits a heinous crime of passion against Maggie.
Because Joel's face was shaded by the darkness of night, Maggie cannot identify the perpetrator and must continue on with her life. Joel is completely engulfed in grief and shame for what he did but feels compelled by God to remain silent.
They fall deeper in love, and soon Maggie finds herself to be pregnant, as a result of that terrible night. She tells Joel and he still does not confess his crime, but instead offers to marry her.
Circumstances force Joel to confess to the crime and Maggie decides to intervene to save Joel's life.