Rose, the youngest of seven children meant to replace her dead sister, feels out of place in her family. When a large white bear offers to help Rose's ailing family if she comes away with it, she agrees. The bear takes Rose to a distant empty castle where she is visited each night by a mysterious stranger. Rose discovers the stranger's identity and loses her heart to him, realizing her journey has just begun. The story is a bold retelling of the classic tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" and moves like Beauty and the Beast yet feels fresh like the best fantasy tales.