The story takes place in a utopian community called Blithedale, which is based on Brook Farm, a real-life Transcendentalist community in Massachusetts where Hawthorne lived briefly. The protagonist, Miles Coverdale, is a young man who joins the community with hopes of living a simpler, more meaningful life. While there, he meets several unconventional characters, including Zenobia, a charismatic feminist; Priscilla, a mysterious and beautiful woman; and Hollingsworth, a driven social reformer with a dark past.