The novel alternates between two storylines set 400 years apart, both in France:

In the late 16th century, Isabelle du Moulin is a young Catholic woman forced to convert to Protestantism after marrying into a Huguenot family. She must abandon her devotion to the Virgin Mary and give up her work as a midwife. Isabelle struggles to adapt to her new life and the strict religious rules imposed on her.

In the late 20th century, Ella Turner moves from California to the small French town of Lisle-sur-Tarn. She discovers a centuries-old, weathered statue of the Virgin Mary and becomes obsessed with restoring it, connecting her to Isabelle's story from long ago.