All Annie Charbonneau wants is to stop working at her father's bakery in her small Maryland coal village, graduate from high school, and go on to college. But in 1894, she is thrust into a personal battle against the ruthless coal company preying on the vulnerable women of her town. Unaware that her actions will bring the evil to her own front door, Annie is caught in a web where her every movement is watched and a vengeance-seeking enemy wants to silence her. When Jonathan Canavan arrives from Philadelphia and is hired as the new school principal, he becomes an ally, helping Annie to lead the miners' wives in retaliation against the coal company. As Annie finds herself thrown into a position of leadership, she discovers that sometimes leaders are asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. She is forced to choose between fidelity and love. How can she decide to keep her family safe, when she knows it will cause her to lose the man she has come to love?