Mike and Amanda Clement are going back to Little Croft, Virginia, the rural town where Amanda grew up. They hope to find a new beginning(a pastoral ministry for Mike, who has just completed his seminary training, and a start for Amanda's teaching career. Plus they'll be surrounded by family and the beauties of the Virginia countryside. Instead, what they find are ancient resentments, clan feuds, the hostility of Little Croft's richest men, and a savage murder. And Amanda must decide what to put first - her own ambitions or the good of her husband and family.