In a time when the kingdom is called Denmark-Norway and Oslo is called Christiana, Gertine's happy, well-ordered world is upended when her sister's wedding, only days away, is inexplicably called off by their mother, Mette. Inspired by a runestone she finds in the woods, Gertine follows one family secret to another in her need to find the truth. She uncovers the story of her mother's complicated past and so learns more about her own.