Timothy Henzel has inherited his grandmother Christina's love of glass and his father's  delicate talent as an engraver and he dreams of creating new and innovative glass. His twin sister Cordelia dreams of studying at Girton College. But when their father dies, their hopes for the future are threatened by their mother's obsessive love for her young son. Determined to break her hold, he persuades Cordelia to accompany him to America, to Corning, known as Crystal City. Life is hard at first, but Tim soon finds work in the industry he loves and Cordelia begins to share his excitement in this vibrant young country. However Cordelia must make a choice between two men: the American Jensen Novak, who threatens to steal her trusting heart despite his own secrets, and the brooding French immigrant Pierre, who brings with him a shadow of the past.