In 18th-century New France, daily life is a grueling test of survival for 15-year-old Françoise Laurent. When her parents suddenly die, she seizes the chance to escape poverty by taking a job as a maid to the wife of a wealthy fur trader. But Madame Pommereau isn't an easy woman to work for. When Françoise is caught stealing a pair of her mistress's gloves, she is sentenced to hang. There is one remote chance for Françoise to escape the noose, if she is cunning enough to make it happen.