In 1820s rural Ireland, Catholicism and ancient traditions go hand in hand in the lives of poor tenant farmers, their prayers to God served up alongside offerings to the mystical "good people." This elegantly elegiac novel revolves around three women grappling to reconcile faith and superstition: Nóra Leahy, a widow struggling to maintain her farm and raise her disabled grandson Micheál after the deaths of both her husband and her daughter; Nance Roche, an elderly recluse and healer known for her knowledge of the good people and the old ways; and Mary Clifford, a girl whom Nóra hires to help care for Micheál. As rumors swirl that Micheál is a fairy changeling bringing misfortune to the tight-knit community— while a vengeful local priest sows discord and suspicion—Nóra's desperation mounts, binding her, Nance, and Mary together in a tragic dance destined to test all their beliefs.