Hannah Medlar was brought up by her pious brother Joseph and his wife Zilla whom she idolized. Her upbringing was strict but very happy until a sequence of puzzling events began to occur. First there were the terrifying visits from a rag woman. Then the inexplicable arrival of a strange girl. And finally, Zilla met with a tragic fate. But despite it all, Hannah's dream of a good life with Adrian, her best friend's brother, remained intact - until...