What hidden force drew young Jan Thoreau and his music from the desolate plains to the isolated camp of Lac Bain, forever altering the lives of its few inhabitants? What fate led him to the home of John and Melisse Cummins as she lay on her deathbed? Furthermore, what deep sorrow and overwhelming sadness haunted Jan in the months and years following his arrival, and how would he grapple with The Honor of the Big Snows? (Summary by Roger Melin)