All is right in Mariah Randolph's world in the logging town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. She has the attention of Hollis Stanford, heir of a railroad tycoon, and her paintings are also starting to gain recognition. Then on a Sunday evening in October 1871, the drought-stricken land becomes engulfed in flames, sending a tornado of fire down Main Street, and all that Mariah holds dear could be gone in a flash. With the aid of railroad bookkeeper Jay Franklin, she seeks a reason to rebuild. But Jay longs for justice that could further destroy Mariah's hopes for tomorrow.