Avignon, 1347. Eleanore is a young midwife and herbalist with remarkable skills. But as she learned the day her mother died, the most dangerous thing a woman can do is draw attention to herself.

In a chance encounter, Eleanore meets the enigmatic personal physician to the powerful Pope Clement, and strikes a deal with him to take her on as his apprentice.

Then, two pieces of earth-shattering news: the Black Death has made landfall in Europe, and the disgraced Queen Joanna is coming to Avignon. She is pregnant and in need of a midwife, a role only Eleanore can fill.

The plague spreads like wildfire, leaving half the city dead in its wake. Desperate for a scapegoat, the people of Avignon follow a group of religious fanatics on a witch-hunt, one that could cost Eleanore—an intelligent, unwed woman; a talented healer—everything.