Rebellion

In 1890, a young missionary, Addie, has traveled to the town of Lu-cho Fu with her husband, dreaming of making her mark on the world. But Addie's desires change after meeting a brash and thoroughly modern woman, Poppy, who offers to transform Addie's destiny. All the while, letters from Addie reach her sister, Louisa, recently married and struggling with the quiet isolation of being a farmer's wife.

When violence erupts overseas between the Chinese and their unwelcome Christian intruders, Addie's life takes a mysterious and haunting turn strongly felt by Louisa back home. By 1958 Louisa's daughter, Hazel, is fighting to maintain control of her land and family in the aftermath of her husband's untimely death. Reeling from the tragedy, she finds herself drawing closer to the neighboring Hughes family and in the process learns that grief takes on many forms.