The book is divided into four parts, spanning time periods from 1864 to 1874, concluding with an epilogue set in 1883. To simplify, events are recounted chronologically rather than in the book’s sequence.
Centered around four characters, the narrative unfolds through their alternating perspectives. In 1874, ConaLee, a thirteen-year-old, accompanies her mother, Mama, on a journey to the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia. They’re sent there by “Papa,” not ConaLee’s biological father, but a menacing drifter who has tormented them since the war’s end. Mama, having recently birthed twins, becomes mute and bedridden. Meanwhile, ConaLee is saddened by the departure of Dearbhla, a maternal figure who raised her father.
The trauma inflicted by Papa erases Mama’s memories, drawing the attention of Dr. Story, a Quaker physician at the asylum. Simultaneously, ConaLee’s true father, suffering from amnesia due to wartime injuries, finds refuge with Dr. John O’Shea, securing a job as a Night Watch at the asylum.
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