In Victorian Berkshire, England, a dying, neglected, and abused mother tells her son George that she is not good enough for heaven. Deeply dismayed, George spends ten years seeking a Christian faith that will not condemn her to Hell. Through three generations, three obsessive husbands undermine the lives of those around them. Alcohol consumes one of the men, and an increasingly popular but controversial religious sect takes over the other two. Unexpected financial problems arise, and in 1913, George moves his family across the Atlantic hoping to find good work in Toronto, Canada. Like his unfortunate mother in her time, George's wife and daughter must fit their lives to their circumstances.