Their parents were old before Christ died, majestic cedar lacing crowns into a living roof over Priest Lake Cathedral—a fragrant, moist and shadowy realm seething with life. Pools scattered like mirrors in the forest floor reflect spectrums of green and gray and brown sometimes dazzled with tithes of sunshine; same for the streams snaking through to pour liquid crystal into Upper Priest Lake.

Man's magnificent cathedrals glow with holy spirit, Notre Dame, Chartres, Amiens, Cologne...but they are stone dead. The Cathedral at Upper Priest glows with spirit of thousands of exotic species living their role in an ecosystem as magnificent as it is endangered—Earth in microcosm.

Stands of enormous dollar signs, that's all ancient forests are to Timber baron Edwin G. Davidson. Priest Lake Cathedral is a last remnant of ancient cedar and hemlock large enough to support a healthy ecosystem, putting humanitarian considerations in the way of cashing it in. But Edwin is obsessed, will do anything to convert The Cathedral into money. Anything.

Andra Davidson is Edwin's bright and beautiful daughter. Two years before she is even aware of The Cathedral, deaths related to its cashing in nearly kill her. Her lover Seth, and his muckraking father Ethan, are found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning. Andra knows her father arranged hits on Seth and Ethan. She retreats to the family bomb shelter, absolutely shunning her father for two years of spiraling depression that would have killed her if not for her best friend, Signe.

Andra and Signe become freshmen at Washington State University in Pullman, living in the "Log Palace" Edwin built for them. Andra endures hollow reconciliation with her father, hoping to get her degree, then a career and a permanent break from him and his wealth.

She falls in love with Dharman, who introduces her to the only place she has ever loved—The Cathedral. And when Andra and Dharman discover her father's top secret, imminent cashing in of The Cathedral, Dharman masterminds an exquisitely dangerous and riveting attempt to alert the public in time.

Edwin will do anything to cash in The Cathedral. Andra and Dharman will do anything to save The Cathedral from money. Anything.