In the waning years of the 19th century, Bessie Daniels grows up in the small town of Hot Springs in western North Carolina. Secure in the love of her father, Bessie is determined to forge her own way in life. Or, as her great-grandmother, Elisi, outs it, to be a whistling woman. Life, however, has a few surprises for her. First, ther's Papa carrying home a dead man, which seems to invite Death for an extended visit in their home. Shortly before she graduates from Dorland Institute, there's another death, this one closer to her heart. And when Papa makes a decision that costs the life of a new friend, the course of Bessie's heart is changed foreve