Set in the late seventies, Th e Ropewalk is about the clash between ideals and unexpected realities. Egan Drummond, a twice-divorced history teacher, takes a job at a remote boarding school on the coast of Maine to escape mainstream society and pursue a long-cherished dream to complete a research project and make a name for himself as an historian.
Living in an old rope factory that serves as the school dormitory, he looks forward to being alone during the Christmas break so that nothing will disturb his research. But he quickly discovers that another teacher, Margaret Gillespie, is still there with her young daughter. Margaret's convinced there's someone walking the halls at night, and Egan is the only person she can turn to. Doubtful and at first annoyed, he finds himself not only caught up in the events of her life, but also on a journey back from the edge of loneliness to another chance as a man.
His life seems back on track, but as his research begins to uncover evidence that could change the nation's perspective on Native American history, the elusive presence in the building becomes more threatening, leaving him with the choice of guarding what he's learned, or making himself famous at the cost of everything he's come to love.