As a young teacher on Martha's Vineyard, Mary Lambert feels restless and adrift. So when a league of missionaries invite her to travel abroad, she knows it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Paris is home to a pioneering deaf school where she could meet its visionary instructors Jean Massieu and Laurent Clerc--and even bring back their methods to help advance formal deaf education in America! But the endeavor comes at a cost: The missionaries' plan to "save" deaf children is questionable at best--and requires Mary's support. What's more, the missionaries' work threatens the Wampanoag and other native peoples' freedom and safety. Is pursuing Mary's own goals worth the price of betraying her friends and her own values?