In this novel of suspense and intrigue, Nathan, an English professor from Boston, finds a property in rural Tennessee that dredges up powerful memories of childhood. He signs a contract of sale on the spot, dreaming of a back-to-the-land paradise where he can raise his children with nature and without the stress and pressures of competitive urban life. His semi-estranged wife back in Boston is horrified. And Nathan soon discovers that the property is not free and clear; the former owners are still tangled in a web of lies and greed. Nathan is reeled in, manipulated, and trapped.