In colonial Virginia, a young bride encounters a visiting entity from different reality. The cold and powerful Niklaus wants to learn about being human, but finds he has much to teach Avaline about being a woman. She is a product of her privileged upbringing and his immersion into her world has her questioning everything she has ever known to be true. Ideologies crash as the worldly Niklaus shows naïve Avaline a fresh perspective on life, love and cruelty. This is the beginning of an epic love story whose passion and obsession will span several lifetimes.