It is the time of the American Revolution, an era of conflict and unrest in a turbulent land struggling for freedom from England's oppressive rule. Nathan Farrell is plagued with a need of his own, and relinquishing his birthright, leaves home on a dangerous quest in search of a mother he never knew. Nathan's arduous journey is fraught with peril as he is forced to travel through the wild realm of the Indians, yet his ultimate return to civilization brings with it a bittersweet ending to his long years of exile. Then Nathan's life undergoes another change when he happens on a carriage accident and meets Margaret MacKenzie, a young woman whose beauty haunts him night and day. But Margaret's father is a Tory, a staunch supporter of Great Britain's King, and he forbids Margaret to associate with the apparently homeless, penniless Nathan, now an enemy of the crown. And with the passage of time, Nathan cannot help but be swept up in his country's fight, as young and old alike are called to arms, fiercely defending the liberties and beliefs they value as a nation free to govern themselves. Now a trusted officer in General Washington's army, Nathan is determined to win Margaret's heart, but when her father is branded a traitor and condemned to die, Nathan is faced with the impossible choice of protecting that which he holds dear or remaining loyal to the country he once vowed to serve.