Wynn Tynan, a young woman growing up in rural Maine, has been raised by her accomplished parents to be an artist. When Wynn's idyllic life takes a brief wrong turn—she becomes pregnant as a teenager—her loving but dominating mother is determined that her goals remain intact, and with reluctance, Wynn gives the baby up for adoption. At art school, she meets Patrick Foss, with his golden eyes, ragged sweaters, and single-minded devotion to his sculpture, and knows she has found the love of her life. But fate intervenes with a tragedy from her past, and Wynn's life spirals into nightmare.