Pearl Dickenson comes to Nodd's Ridge only to claim an inheritance but unexpectedly decides to stay, upsetting the tiny New England town's equilibrium with her exotic beauty. Settling in, she buys a local diner and turns it into a thriving gathering place. But her simple desire for a place of her own becomes complicated when she stumbles into not one but two love affairs with two very different but equally troubled men. When the seething rivalry between the men explodes into violence, Pearl becomes more than just an object of local gossip. She becomes a power - to heal or destroy the community... and herself. This gripping novel illuminates the depths and desires of an independent woman... and exposes some very dark truths about small town life.