Set 35 before the events of A Time for Silence in 1833, the Owens are set to lose tenancy of the family farmstead of Cwmderwen following the death of the eldest son. As patriarch Thomas slides into religious obsession, Leah tries to keep the legacy of her brother alive for his son John. As the forces of religion, morality, greed and family feuds gather, Leah finds herself torn between her duty to others and her duty to herself.