Marta thought she had buried her childhood past on “that wicked patch of dirt,” but after her father dies, the farm's destiny lands on her.
After Marta’s mother hands over the farm’s future to the children, their decision is split, leaving Marta with the swing vote. Immediately, she opts to sell the farm to a developer who will raze it. Her daughter, however, insists that she will live on that “beloved piece of ground” with her new husband in order to preserve it—buying it if need be.
The possibility of both alienating Sarah and seeing her raise a family on that malevolent land anguishes Marta. Though she may create a maelstrom into which both of them will be swept, Marta shares her family’s dark past to dissuade Sarah.
Marta’s mother, Isabelle, adds her own slant to the story as does her father’s secret diary which proves true an old rumor about her parents’ wedding day, resulting in Isabelle's life-long vendetta against Viktor ... and the ensuing havoc on all four children.