Called simply "the female", she is seventeen, one of the few survivors of a worldwide plague known simply as the Sickness—and quite possibly the last woman on earth. She lives in the mountains and forests of northern California, protected by her father. Life is hard, but they're happy. Until one chilly autumn morning when a violent, racist band of males, led by an ex-elite soldier called Braydon, find them. Overjoyed at discovering a female they can "enjoy", the men kill the female's father and take her prisoner.

Life becomes intolerable for the female. Delighted to be in possession of the last woman on earth—or so they believe—they keep her isolated in a cabin of her own, for them to take turns with. Braydon sets up a strict routine to avoid any unrest within the camp—but his own intention is to make her the new Eve, to breed with her and repopulate the Earth. Throughout the winter, the female begins to train—making herself as strong and fit as she can for the spring. She is determined to escape, or die trying.