In late 19th century Boston, women's lives begin to take a new direction. Amid this social transformation, a brilliant and charismatic feminist, Olive Chancellor, finds herself torn between her passion for the ideals of equality and her feelings for the young and energetic Verena Tarrant. Verena, a woman of captivating and innocent beauty, becomes the focus of Olive's ambitions, who sees in her an opportunity to bring her message of emancipation to the public.
However, the relationship between the two women becomes complicated when Basil Ransom, a charming and conservative relative of Verena, enters the scene. Basil, who embodies the traditional norms and patriarchal expectations of the time, is drawn to Verena's beauty and seeks to persuade her to abandon the fight for women's rights. This love triangle transforms into an emotional battleground where passions, loyalties, and ideologies clash.
As Olive attempts to convince Verena to follow her path of activism, the young woman grapples with her own desires and the demands from both sides. With period landscapes that capture the essence of a society in transition, the story explores the tensions between love, freedom, and commitment, revealing the complexity of human relationships in a world striving to evolve.