After he receives word that his first book of poetry is to be published by a New York firm, handsome Eden Whiteoaks leaves "Jalna," the Ontario estate he shares with Gran, uncles Ernest and Nicholas, brothers Renny, Piers, Wakefield and Finch and older sister Meg, for the city. There, Eden falls in love with and marries literary assistant Alayne Archer and returns to Jalna with her, just as Piers shows up with his bride, neighbor Pheasant Vaughn. Although Alayne is greeted warmly by the Whiteoaks, Pheasant, whose alcoholic father Maurice had been engaged to Meg until baby Pheasant was left on his doorstep, is denounced by Meg and everyone else in the family but Renny. At Renny's insistence, Pheasant, whom Alayne has also defended, is allowed into the household and soon attracts the attention of Eden. At the same time, Renny grows close to Alayne, deeply impressed by her beauty, poise and intelligence. Eventually, Renny and Alayne, having confessed their love for each other, decide to separate, and Eden is about to give in to Alayne's pleas that they move to New York, when he falls and breaks his leg during a family Christmas party. Following his prolonged recuperation, Eden seduces Pheasant at a family picnic and is seen by Finch. Envious of Eden, Finch tells Piers about his wife's adultery, and Piers storms off in a jealous rage to find Eden. Confronted by Piers on a high cliff, Eden, who had just planted a fake suicide note, slips and falls to his death. Two weeks later, as Alayne is about to leave for New York, the usually befuddled one-hundred-year-old Gran orders Renny to catch Alayne and marry her, while astutely encouraging Piers and Pheasant to reconcile with each other, and Meg and Maurice to forgive each other.