When Mercedes Hann dies, her great-niece, Annie Byrne, returns to Newfoundland for the funeral. With the family gathered to say goodbye, Annie searches for the truth by trying to unravel the secrets that shaped Mercedes’ life, and, ultimately, her own. As Annie delves into her aunt’s tangled history, however, she soon realizes that she must come to terms with her own past in order to face a future in which Mercedes is no longer available to shoulder the blame.