Lily Cassidy watched her father get assassinated at the beginning of the infamous Lincoln County War. Left to support her mother and her crippled brother, it's a weight that rests heavily on her shoulders more so because she knows who killed her father, and is powerless to do anything about it.
Lily turns to "Uncle" Emmett Moss, a friendly local rancher, whose fairness and common sense call out to Lily in her hour of need. But, she's taken aback when the widowed Uncle Emmett proposes the idea of marriage. Lily, seeing an easy way to support her mother and her brother accepts, also hoping for revenge against Henry Hart, the man who hired her father's killer.
Emmett challenges Henry, leading to a bloody confrontation that will kill many of Lily's friends and neighbors. Through it all Lily matures into a strong, clear - minded woman who learns to accept the strengths and weaknesses of those around her.
