Serena Farrar's world is on the brink of self-destruction. Determined to do her part to free the slaves, she dreams of joining the staff of her cousin's newspaper in Springfield as a journalist. But the only way she can move to Massachusetts is to bow to her family's wishes and marry sea captain Brant Parnell, who she believes is a reckless fortune hunter. After Serena goes to work for the New Bedford Mercury, her hopes and dreams are quashed by an ugly scandal. Not even Brant can help or comfort her, for her coldness has sent him back to sea, feeling used and rejected. Serena's only recourse is to flee to her sister's home in New Bern, North Carolina. There, in the shadow of the growing conflict, she throws herself into her work on the local newspaper, still wondering why her passion for writing about truth and justice wasn't enough. When Brant arrives in New Bern, Serena begins to question everything she has lived for. As conflict engulfs the city, she struggles not only as a Yankee in enemy territory, but as a woman who was born to love and be loved. From the primeval forests of Maine to the lush Inner Banks of North Carolina, Serena and Brant discover that love trumps the worst of human follies.