The year is 1665 and in rural Derbyshire the arrival of the plague means that lives in the sleepy village of Eyam are about to change forever. Emmott Sydall, recently betrothed to her childhood sweetheart Rowland Torre from neighbouring Stoney Middleton, is taught to read and write by her friend and employer Catherine Mompesson. It is through her journal that we follow the villagers in their plight against the terrible disease and watch as both the best and worst of human nature begins to surface within their midst. Guided by the young, charismatic and newly appointed Reverend Mompesson, Catherine's husband, the villagers ultimately come to a brave and selfless decision in an attempt to protect the surrounding communities from succumbing to the same dreadful fate. Based on actual events this is a tale of loss, resilience, faith, hope and above all the overriding power of love in all its forms.