Flasgow, 1829. Newlyweds Isobel and Edward set sail for New England looking for a fresh start. Arriving in Salem Isobel finds herself penniless and alone. Then she meets Nathaniel - a writer, and the two are drawn to each other. He is haunted by his ancestors who sent innocent women to the gallows during the Salem witch trials while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, unsettled by her own strange talents.