Marian Forrester arrives in the prairie town of Sweet Water as a young bride – beautiful, aristocratic, and spirited. To Captain Daniel Forrester, her pioneer husband, she’s a precious jewel, and in the eyes of her new neighbour, young Niel Herbert, she’s the perfect lady. But like the burgeoning promise of the American frontier, Marian’s charms decline with the passing of time, and the world’s admiration curdles into pity and contempt.

Marian Forrester arrives in the prairie town of Sweet Water as a young bride – beautiful, aristocratic, and spirited. To Captain Daniel Forrester, her pioneer husband, she’s a precious jewel, and in the eyes of her new neighbour, young Niel Herbert, she’s the perfect lady. But like the burgeoning promise of the American frontier, Marian’s charms decline with the passing of time, and the world’s admiration curdles into pity and contempt.