Killingly, 1897. The female students of Mount Holyoke - an elite university in a sleepy rural town - are famous for their beauty and charm. Except for plain, quiet Agnes and Bertha, who spend their time reading, writing and wandering the dark woods of Killingly, and do not seem interested in ballgowns or young men.

One autumn morning, Bertha vanishes - and the peaceful town of Killingly fractures into chaos. While a search team dredges the pond where she might have drowned, a private detective arrives in town and begins an investigation, discovering before long that this plain, quiet girl was keeping a terrible secret. The truth, if revealed, could put Agnes's life in mortal danger - and shatter the glittering reputation of Mount Holyoke forever...