The year is 1665. Fourteen-year-old Gwendoline Riston lives in the
village of Letchlade on the upper reaches of the River Thames. Her
puritan neighbors have long whispered about Gwendoline - her way with
animals, her skill with plants, especially her pale skin and white hair.
They believe she is a witch. But her father says she looks like an angel
here on earth, and her friend Jack is a loyal companion when the village
folk shun her. When a terrible plague hits London, threatening the
countryside, no one is safe. The villagers blame Gwendoline. "Purge the
pale one!" they cry. If that weren't cause enough to be frightened,
Gwendoline's friend goes missing and her father sets out to search for
him, leaving her hidden away in a secret chamber above the porch at St.
Giles Church to keep her safe. With only a meager supply of food,
Gwendoline must summon all her courage to survive through the long, hot
summer.