In 1850, Captain Charles Boone inherits his wealthy cousin's estate and relocates his family to small-town Maine where the Boones encounter prejudice, hostility, a mystery illness and murder as Charles begins a dangerous journey of self-discovery.

A child in town dies of a mystery illness and on her deathbed, credits Stephen Boone. Hysterical townsfolk demand that Charles dig up his cousin's grave. Charles refuses, but in private opens the grave and is shocked by what he finds.