This story takes place in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the early 1900s. It is a narrative of love, deception, and brotherhood. After being discharged, Colonel Ludlow decides to raise his three sons in the wilds of Montana, away from the government and society he despises. The brothers grow up and have a strong bond, until Susanna enters their lives. When Samuel, the youngest, returns from college with his fiancée Susanna, the eldest son, Alfred, falls in love with her. Things become worse when he discovers a growing attraction between Susanna and Tristan. Tristan, Colonel Ludlow's favorite son, is wild and headstrong. As the brothers go to war in Europe, jealousy and suspicion threaten to destroy their unbreakable bond.