1596. Anne, a deaf girl, bullied by the maids and mistresses who look after her, finds solace when she comes across a magical tree: a portal to the present, where she meets Jo and Rachel, who help her overcome her disability in a way she could never have imagined.
An American girl, Daphne, heads to Europe in search of the father she's never met. But instead of finding a British version of her bohemian mother, she learns the love of her mom's life is an uptight politician. The only problem now is that her long-lost dad is engaged to a fiercely territorial social climber with a daughter who makes Daphne's life miserable.
Impotent and unhappy middle-aged James Fhelleps goes murderously around the bend after an automobile accident claims the life of his beloved daughter Heather and turns his nagging wife Alice into a pathetic grotesquely disfigured cripple. James embarks on a savage killing spree, brutally butchering such low-life scum as hookers and drug dealers so he can reach Heather from the other side.
Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, is betrayed by his jealous brothers, sold into slavery, and driven to Egypt. Though beset with adversity, Joseph perseveres through wit and faith and becomes the Governor of Egypt, second only to the Pharaoh.