Summary

In 1929, tornadoes sweep through the community of Rye Cove, Virginia. Jim Shaw, who lives on a farm nearby, learns of the carnage but does not tell his family. When his son Henry comes to him in a panic, Jim runs and finds that Henry has witnessed an owl and a weasel fighting. Over dinner, Henry brags about what he witnessed to his siblings, and asks Jim if he can tell his mother about it. Since Henry’s mother, Marie, is very sick, Jim suggests he try another time. Jim has foreboding dreams that night.

Several years later, in 1934, the anniversary of Marie Shaw’s death comes around. Maeve Shaw, one of her daughters, is the only one who appears to notice; her siblings are distracted by the birth of a mare. Maeve wanders down to the lake on...