The same day a village man is attacked, Yarrow Pickering, herbal woman and proprietor of the Lanthorne Ordinary, finds a peculiar object washed ashore and takes it home. The arrival of such a curious item heralds a string of events that seem unrelated at first.

A powerful Guild of skilled women, family secrets, and a foolhardy theft combine in this suspenseful tale of deception, greed, and the awakening of ancient legends to formally introduce Yarrow to the world of her ancestors. It's a world beyond her expectations.