This saga of intrigue, passion and adventure begin in 1859, just before the Civil War. Belinda Palmer, who is called Red Bird by the Cherokee Indians due to her constant wearing of read clothing, lives in a small harbor village in North Carolina. Burdened with being a beautiful girl, constantly an irresistible lure to the opposite sex, with great effort she maintains her virginity and dignity. The murder of her younger sister, the death of her mother, life is a challenge for Red Bird. The reader will be transported back to a life much the way the twenty first century has begun, albeit without today's so-called conveniences. Belinda Palmer's red clothing seems to be a symbol of her courage. No white flags of surrender for the Red Bird.