Part One:
Bird is the leader of the Huron tribe but when Birds family is murdered by the Haudenosaunee tribe, Bird vows to slaughter over a hundred men of the opposite tribe as an act of revenge. During an attack Bird comes across child of the Haudenosaunee tribe named Snowfalls and he decides to raise her as his own daughter. Snowfalls cannot not forget that bird has murdered her family and does not accept him as her new father. Christophe is a missionary but has also been captured by the Hurons and is called Crow. Crows goal is to change the Hurons of their “savage and godless” ways. Crows teachings are mocked by the tribe cause of crows poor ability to speak their language but still he persists.
Gosling is known for her mystic powers and warns Bird that she suspects Crow will begin to convert the tribe. Bird and Gosling make a plan to kill crow but to make sure his death is not on the hands of the Hurons, but when the time comes for Crows death Bird finds himself saving his life. During the trip Snowfalls comes up with a plan to make sure that Bird would never forget get by cutting off his pinky but when time comes Snowfall makes the mistake of taking off her own too. The hurons reach New France, the land of the “Iron People”, and Bird makes an agreement with the Iron people to become allies against the Haudenosaunee. The Iron people give Bird one gun and in return Bird allows more priests into the village. Bird sets off back to the village with Crow, Snowfalls, his warriors, and two more missionaries.
Part Two:
The second part begins three years after where the first part ended. The Hurons and Haudenosaunee are attacked by the plague, and are in a battle to see who can recover the quickest and attack the other tribe. Snowfalls is close to menstruating and is taken in my the elder women to learn the customs. Snowfalls starts to enjoy the way the tribe works and falls in love with a boy named, Carries the Axe, but he shows no interest in her and gives her a raven and the other woman help her preserve the raven.Crow starts to attract more people to his masses and loyal followers. A drought falls upon the village and Crow vows to have a 10 day fast for rain and on the tenth day its rains, Crow gains more followers but when Gosling cures a sick women the members begin to turn on Crow again.Bird comes back from the trading village with three prisoners, two prisoners are tortured to death but Snowfalls convinces Bird to adopt the youngest one. The young boy is scared by the torturing and acts strangely so Bird sends him away to the village of the priests and comes back with more converts. The converts bring even more diseases and Bird decides to send Carries the Axe and Snowfalls to any other village to keep them away from the plague. After the plague passes Bird goes to retrieve Snowfall and Carries the Axe but hears news that a village is completely destroyed by the Haudenosaunee and Carries the Axe, Crow, Aaron, Snowfalls and her new brother were last night going to the now destroyed village to bring back converts.
Part Three:
Snowfalls, Gosling, and Carries the Axe arrive at village hoping it would be a refugee but find out that the village is as infected the plague as every other. Crow stays to preach to the tribe despite Snowfalls wanting to leave. Snowfalls brother leaves to rejoin his tribe after explaining how Crows men had been raping him. Snowfall and her party are attacked but are luckily saved by herself and Carries the Axe.Bird and Snowfall return to the French village to ask more protection and guns. Crow is unable to protect his village after finding out that many of his men has been raping the young and drinking alcohol against his orders. Snowfall is raped by Aaron, who has become a drunk, and becomes pregnant. Snowfall decides to marry Carries the Axe and raise the child together even though Carries the Axe is unsure of who the father is. Later Gosling tells everyone that she is pregnant as well with Birds child. The tribe is forced to move to another village after a crop is infected with a virus leaving them with minimal supplies for the winter. After arriving Aaron goes missing and is found after committing suicide. Snowfalls gives birth to her daughter, then news arrives that village is going to be attacked. A couple days later the Haudenosaunee tribe attacks, during the battle Carries the axe and his father are killed. Snowfalls and Delilah are poisoned by a convert who had suffered the torturing of the Hadunessaue and believes that they must die now before there are captured and tortured. Snowfalls child, the mother-in-law and the mother-in-laws child is taken in by the Haudenosaunee tribe.
Crow is tortured to death, Bird, Gosling and the rest of the remaining tribe escape to a island where Bird buries Snowfalls, and Gosling gives birth.
