Just before the turn of the 20th century, Jacob Hudson grows up on a farm in the Canadian prairies, near the small village of Abbington Pickets.
As a child, he witnesses an incident that scars him deeply and leaves him unable to trust or understand his strong, proud, and often harsh father.
Shy Jacob grows into a handsome, talented young man still carrying a dark secret.
Just when Jacob thinks he will never be able to follow his dreams, he meets Abigail, a beautiful, boastful English girl wit.