Bright and warm-hearted Hester is desperate to escape her squalid moorland home and violent father, so when her employer Ned Metcalfe tries to seduce her, she mistakes his real intentions for love, only to find herself pregnant and isolated. Befriended by wise herbalist Meg, Hester gives birth in secret and trains to become a nurse. Struggling to overcome the prejudice of her community and setbacks in her personal life, Hester gives way to depression, but while battling to save her friend Josh Bell after a serious fire, she discovers an inner strength that will stay with her.