In a world where honeybees are all but extinct, Valley has spent her entire life living in the tranquil river bottoms where her family camps out every summer and grows more food than most folks can dream of. But, that’s all about to change on her sixteenth birthday when her Uncle Jacob informs her that she will be marrying the son of the powerful mayor of a nearby town. When Valley agrees to meet the boy and give him a chance, she is plunged into the intrigues of an unforgiving village where women are treated like property. In the midst of a plague outbreak, Valley must fight for her father’s life and for the right to make her own decisions all while learning that her family life is not as idyllic as she always thought it was.