An adventure story that takes place in Nova Scotia in the 1940s, this book is woven around the lives of simple people, their superstitious beliefs, and old-fashioned family values. Readers will encounter Old Maude, a disfigured and much maligned and misunderstood Micmac medicine woman who lives in an abandoned gold mine, as well as lumberjacks, hobos, and several village children whose adventures lead them to Maude and an eventual understanding of her healing powers.