It's 1974, the year before International Women's Year, and in the outlying Nova Scotia village of Millman, most continue to live their lives defined by tradition. But gutsy and idealistic nine-year-old CASEY RICHARDS isn't one of them. She wants the same rights and privileges as her older brother. She wants a bike with gears, and she's willing to do what it takes to earn the money to buy one. While Casey discovers income and independence with her new paper route, she also witnesses a traumatic event. Her teenage cousin and idol, charismatic MONICA, rebels against her religious father CHESTER, and he beats her, mercilessly. When Monica later goes missing, and then tragically, her lifeless body is discovered in the river, Casey is devastated. Some villagers believe Monica accidentally drowned, while others believe the teenager she was dating murdered her. But Casey knows the truth. When she brazenly accuses her uncle of killing his own daughter, her family reacts vehemently. They try everything in their power to silence her, even stripping her of her paper route. Months later, relegated to babysit the newborn granddaughter of a fiercely independent and ornery older widow, HAZEL, Casey finds an unlikely ally and comes to believe the woman's granddaughter is Monica's reincarnation. The mysteries surrounding Monica's death have quieted, but Casey refuses to forget. She confronts Chester, one more time.