Vancouver, 1881 Elsa waits anxiously for a letter from Paul, her dear friend who’s been reporting on the Boer War in South Africa. When the letter finally arrives, it brings hope: Paul is returning to British Columbia, and he’s bringing along his two companions, Fred and Dylan. But when they step off the stagecoach, Elsa quickly realizes that not all of them have emerged from the war unscathed. The discovery of gold soon ignites a feverish rush across western Canada, and Elsa finds herself caught up in its chaotic wake. She agrees to accompany her foster sister Kate, who, reluctantly, must follow her husband Dylan to Vancouver Island, to a remote mining town on Mount Sicker. Paul is assigned by the newspaper to travel with them and write about the unfolding chaos. Winter blankets the town, and life in the mining community is as cold and unforgiving as the season itself. Fred and Dylan are often found in the local pub, where they try to drown their disappointments and gamble away whatever little they have left. But when a mining accident leaves Dylan seriously injured, the future looks grim for Kate, who is left to pick up the pieces. As the weight of responsibility falls on Kate’s shoulders, both women must make decisions that will forever alter the course of their lives. Will Kate have the strength to endure, now that everything depends on her? And will Elsa's future lie with Paul, or will he continue his restless journey across the world without her?