In a North Carolina winter, new vistas appear through the bare trees. For Elizabeth Goodweather of Full Circle farm, still a newcomer after more than twenty years, one terrible glimpse ignites a mystery that reaches back years into these hills, drawing together dozens of seemingly unconnected lives. When Elizabeth catches sight of a frail old woman perched precariously on a high porch where naked dolls hang and twist in the bitter wind, she is startled and alarmed. When the woman jumps, there is no turning back -- Elizabeth is deeply involved.