Like Chekov's famous play, and even more like the real-life Brontës whose story she told in another book, Morrison tells the story of three girls who were born to a minister and his wife in a remote Highland manse, nearly a hundred years ago. It is narrated by the youngest sister, Lisbet, who describes the love affairs of her older sisters, Julia and Emmy, each of whom falls in love with a man deemed an unacceptable match by their patriarchal, rigid and prejudiced society. These societal strictures are set against approaching womanhood, the growing awareness of a life beyond the safety of home, and the wild beauty of the surrounding countryside.