In the 1920s, a battle rages between a spunky, half-Native American woman and a successful timber man, neighbors across the tides in Washington State's Puget Sound. Their backgrounds represent different races, cultures, spiritual beliefs and plans for the future. The teenaged girl Lilliwaup lives on the mainland with Blossom, an eccentric Indian grandmother who clings to memories of longhouses and potlatch give-away feasts. Blossom shapes Lilliwaup's beliefs with legends of the salmon people and Mt. Rainier. Lilliwaup also belongs to her father's Indian Christian Shaker church; she develops a powerful connection with the spirit world and relies on Jesus, her spirit guide StarBird, and shaking trances to overcome obstacles. Jack Brenner, a married timber executive, lives on a nearby island. He's come from Germany with a secret past and an uncanny ability to acquire what he wants. For several years, Lilliwaup and Brenner try to outfox one another. Lilliwaup goes after the Brenner's island, a place to restore Blossom's heritage. Inevitably, the two clash, come together and clash again. Eventually Ellie is born, a child who is determined to cross the tides and discover the truth. Untangling the truth threatens to undo them all.