Danyana "Yana" Morneen, the only child of a widowed cobbler, has always wondered why the forest seems so sad. Dark and lifeless, it sits on the outskirts of town, never producing the lush greenness she longs for. As Yana explores the secrets of the forest, she tries in vain to keep an admirer's advances at bay.

Many women in the village desire Nicolas Vanlock, the wealthy, handsome son of a local merchant, but he only has eyes for Yana. For as long as she can remember, Nicolas has been trying to force himself into her life, and now he desires marriage. But Yana knows that her destiny does...