150 years after the end of the Civil War, the United States falls into another Civil War. The Second Great War leaves the US population and landscape decimated and out of many, comes one: The Nation. Four generations has passed and life in The Nation is perfect. The Provinces are picturesque, there is no crime, and at seventeen years old everyone chooses a Vocation in order to contribute their fair share to society. Lucia Giroux's Vocation Ceremony is fast approaching and her life seems to be headed in the right direction. Her childhood best friend, Jack Delante, has expressed interest in making her his girlfriend and she is getting ready to announce her Vocation as Record Keeper, following in her father's footsteps, working in The Vaults surrounded by her favorite authors and poets.

But when Lucia starts working at The Vaults it isn't quite what she expected. First, there's the incredibly good-looking and intelligent Nicolas Pernelli, her father's assistant in the Historical Department who he's never mentioned. Next, she finds out that her father has been working on a secret research project. Lastly, Lucia meets Pearl Radita, her immediate supervisor in the Literature Department and things really begin to get weird.

Pearl assigns Lucia to be part of a team working to decipher a poem called The Light, which seems to predict a Third Great War. Just as their analysis gets under way Lucia receives a message that changes everything. When Lucia's mother suddenly falls ill, and she tells her father of the message, he sends her and Nic on a dangerous journey to the Farmlands to find out more information. Lucia's idyllic world is turned upside down as she learns not only The Nation, but her parents have been keeping secrets. Lucia wants answers. How far is she willing to go to get them?