In the summer of 1876, Marion Easton travels from Boston to spend time with her future in-laws at the country resort on Mount Wachusett. However, a series of personal and national events bring tragedy and alter the course of her life.Independent, intelligent and wealthy, Marion is also alone, with only her coming marriage to look forward to. Her fiancé is serving with the US Cavalry in the West, and Marion anxiously awaits his return to civilization.The disappearance of a child; the acquaintance of a strange girl with a powerful but enigmatic father, and emotional conflicts mean that Marion's summer is not what she expected.Set against the close summer community of Princeton, Massachusetts, Wachusett touches on contemporary themes of American life while revealing the darker, less rational nature of the period.