Despite the cold, sweat was dripping down into her face and into her eyes. Hard little flakes of ice peppered down on her as she paused for a second and gathered in fresh air and then pushed once again against the cold wet stone. Surely this time the stone would move, and she could find her way home.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s the harshness of life in a small coal mining region of East Tennessee is having a devastating effect on the area. Lettie, a thirteen-year-old girl, is trying to make sense of a world that has turned upside down. The coal mines in the area close leaving few jobs for the residents. One of the few means of employment left for many men is the dangerous world of making illegal whiskey. Amid the increasing violence Lettie tries to make sense of this new and dangerous world.
From the earth itself rises the spirit of a Native American, whose own tragedy is tied to this mountain. He is destined to protect her from this new and dangerous world that surrounds her.