Imagine a young English teacher abducted from a small public restroom in the mountains near Crater Lake during a snow storm by an angry, anti-social man who has retreated from society. He has kidnapped her to be a present for his mentally challenged adult son. She is trapped in isolation in a primitive cabin in the woods surrounded by deep snow. She survives by her wits, befriends the childlike son, and plans her escape. She survives violence, a cougar attack, a harrowing ride down the wild Rogue River in a small boat with one oar, and exposure to the freezing elements. She is surprised to learn that in the midst of brutality and filth, that beauty still exists.