John Alves, son of a famous Presbyterian martyr on the Portuguese island of Madeira, spends his childhood in jail and in poverty. When he meets Mary Freitas though the adopted daughter of a master botanist, her true lineage is the subject of dangerous rumor - a speak kindles a lasting bond. But soon their families must confront the rising blood tide of warfare between Catholics and Protestants. Fleeing with only what they can carry, john and Mary are places in a rapidly growing and changing mid nineteenth century Illinois.