In Southern Appalachia, 1849, we find the Gist family trying to come to terms with the loss of their son, Isaac. Compounding the already hard times of mountain life, the remaining members of the family have been affected differently by the events of the previous year. Issac’s sister, Abby, has adopted the persona of a tomboy in an effort to fill the void left by her brother’s death. The mother, Nancy, has fallen into a deep depression, having lost her faith; she is unable to function at her previous level, remaining cold and withdrawn. Due to the father’s inability to save his son, Patrick, being a farmer by trade, becomes driven to learn frontier medicine to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. Through these increasingly complex issues, the Gist family attempt to continue on with their lives the best they can despite the continual interference from thieving gravediggers, quirky neighbors, genocidal soldiers and a strange traveler with an even stranger name. Ultimately, Patrick realizes he must reach beyond physical medicine to keep the family intact, only, then to be presented with a set of choices that no family should have to face.