The story follows the life of Maude and Gilbert Valcour. As a young woman, Maude LaJoie, born and raised on a First Nation Reserve, leaves the isolated community to move to the nearby town of Penetanguishene. Here she meets and marries Gilbert Valcour, a local handyman and canoe builder. The couple are given the opportunity to become caretakers of a large cottage in Cognashene and live in a small stone cottage situated on the property. Though Maude was able to assimilate her native culture with the culture of the town, she is quite happy to move to this remote location with her husband and children and return to a lifestyle she is used to. The story follows their challenges of moving to this location, managing the large cottage, its property and the affluent colourful owners and guests. Rescuing the survivors of a passenger sailboat The Stalker, following a violent storm so common on Georgian Bay and braving an unexpected encounter with a bear are just a few of the many twists and turns the couple must accommodate into their life. A sordid romance between the owner and one of the local residents ends in tragedy and Maude and Gilbert are left to pick up the pieces and move on with their life.