It is 1775 and Phoebe Olcott is plunged into the horrors of war when her cousin Gideon is hanged for being a British spy. When she finds the secret message he left behind, Phoebe knows she must deliver it. On a dangerous journey that bringsher face to face with rebel guns and wild animals, she is befriended first by a cat and a bear cub, and then by Jem Morrisey, a young Loyalist escaping to British Canada. Although Phoebe and Jem discover their growing attraction for one another, Phoebe's mission cannot be ignored. She must go on, alone.