In the aftermath of the American Civil War, Lettie Mason is carrying a heavy burden of rage and thirst for revenge against the man who killed her brother in cold blood. The upright young schoolteacher journeys from prosperous and bustling Boston to a small town in Louisiana where she must contend with the chaos of post-war upheavals. Soon, she begins to hear rumors of the murderer's presence in the town. Called "The Thorn", he is said to be ruthless yet compassionate. Her strength and dedication begin to waver when the Thorn seduces her with his charm and warm embrace. How can she hope to bring the man to justice when the unpredicted stirring of her own heart threatens to defy her?