Raised by a dissolute father and distant mother, Annabella finds herself cast out at age 17, with a loyal childhood friend as her sole protector.

Cissie Brodie, a 16 year old girl, struggles to hold her family together after their parents die in the cholera epidemic of 1832. Her turbulent life takes a cruel turn after she is raped and left pregnant. Eventually she is forced to make a decision between two men who profoundly influence her life.