She tried to murder her cousin Gilbert. She shot her uncle. She did it for her family. Unfortunately for her, she failed in killing Gilbert. Young Jeanette Baxa and her mother seek refuge with desperate men during the age of French Revolution in Paris. Yet no refuge is safe when these dangerous men attempt to foment great, king-killing changes. After discovering a secret of the revolutionary leaders and being hunted by Jeanette's mad cousin Gilbert, the two become desperate exiles. They survive the Temple, an infamous prison, and make their way through the festering age of Terror in Paris, while being hunted by their enemies. They find hope in the army, where a handsome captain gives them shelter from Gilbert and the Jacobins. Here, Jeanette learns of love and family in the ranks of the revolutionary army as a cantinière. But even with the help of her new allies, can she take the fight to Gilbert and his masters, and win a place in the armies of future Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte?