Emma Baden is swept into the dangerous world of radical union organizers in the silk mill town of Union Hill in 1911. She is drawn to the charismatic socialist leader Frederick Mossler, who charms her into becoming a speaker for his cause and, later, his wife. When an evening rally suddenly turns violent, Emma is forgotten by Frederick but rescued from the panicked mob by Max Keppel, the handsome heir to the town's largest mill. Their attraction is immediate, yet he is married to Lavinia and considered an enemy of the unions. Still, their friendship survives, and Max is there for Emma at the most opportune times. Real life is not always a storybook tale, and sometimes Emma wonders: Is she just a pawn of fate, or do her choices make a difference for herself and others?
