After graduating from Penn State University, Cloris Schermer returns to the semi-rural, semi-urban county east of Pittsburgh, PA where she was born and raised.
Against her mother's unrelenting animosity for anyone named Hughes, Cloris begins to date Reynolds Hughes - scion of the County's wealthiest and most powerful family. Reynolds' mother is equally opposed to his dating anyone named Schermer.
The two eventually enter into a brief, childless marriage, with infidelity leading to divorce. Unhappy apart, they make plans to re-marry. While separated, Cloris digs into her family tree and makes a discovery that will forever change Reynold and Cloris. The pair must now decide how to confront their future.