1953. Although the village of Stepmouth appears as idyllic as ever, a passionate feud threatens to shatter the small community. Sixteen-year-old Rachel Vale has fallen in love with the man her brother hates. When the town is devastated by a flood, the Vale family is left broken and irreconcilably divided. Or so it seems. 2003. Laurie Vale, an only child and aspiring artist, takes a phone call from an aunt she never knew existed, only to discover that everything she ever believed about her family is a lie. As the truth unfolds, the hopes and passions buried in the Vale family's past surface once more.