Rosemary Mendes, looking for a new life after her husband's death, believes she has found a refuge in California's remote Trinity Alps. She's not looking for Eden, just a place where she can live alone and not bother or be bothered by anyone. Contrary to her intentions, she is drawn into the life of the small community. And she has a growing sense of identification with another newcomer whom she never met, a young woman found shot dead in the forest, whose dog she adopts. Like Rosemary, the mystery woman came there to live a self-sufficient life but women who don't conform to familial and societal expectations can expect to be bothered...and more. Rosemary's efforts to learn more about "Wandering Girl" (the murdered woman's e-mail alias) prove both successful and dangerous.