After a failed engagement to a high-society suitor in San Francisco, Lokelani "Lucky" Letwin returns home to Hawaii, leaving her beloved rosebushes behind. She's desperate to establish a life of her own-a daunting task for any unmarried female in the early twentieth century but particularly for one passionate about plants. A stubborn, song-filled girl grown into an accomplished woman, Lokelani is haunted by a family tragedy. She is as reluctant to acknowledge her past as she is to accept the supernatural force building inside her, strong and inevitable. She is a mākāhā, a Gate, ever connected to the power of the land . . . if only she will admit it.

In her quest to retrieve her roses, Lokelani is reunited with Artemus Chang, a childhood friend, who's now a handsome and successful lawyer. As the spark between them grows, Artemus agrees to help her recover her roses, only to discover her kisses leave him literally breathless. When a mystical teacher-a kumu-enters her life, Lokelani's embrace of the voice of ancient power bubbling up within her-her leo-takes on a new urgency.

Will Lokelani continue to be bound by guilt and fear? Or will she learn to bring together her worlds as a botanist and a Gate-a conduit able to channel the power of the ʻāina into the world-to sing once more and claim her love?