1892, rural Russia. Against a backdrop of unrest, a baby is born to peasant farmers Ari and Moriah. The child is long-awaited, and may be magical – the first in many years. Older relatives clamour with naming suggestions: the baby becomes the girl with thirty five names. But to
her parents, she is, simply, Molly.

An inquisitive child, Molly senses secrets: Ari’s past is dark but unspoken; Moriah displays magical abilities, but never publicly. Molly yearns to know more about her namesakes – so when Moriah gifts her a special book, she’s delighted to find that it contains the histories of
her names. But there’s more to them than this: she feels it.

At 17, Molly discovers a pair of magical spectacles that enable her to see the truth of people, revealed in swirling colours. Enthralled and confused by what the colours expose,she is drawn by a bright golden trail to Sam, the son of a local tailor; and to Ivan, the son of local aristocrats, swirled in dark shadows. He’s smitten with Molly – and despite his shade, she likes him. When Red Army soldiers appear in the community, Ari tells Molly to stay away from Ivan but won’t say why. Frustrated and wanting answers, Molly uses the glasses to unlock magical
clues, hidden within her book, which lead her to her mysterious Aunt Pearl.

The guardian of family secrets, Pearl reveals that their magical family line is dying out: Molly may be the last. Pearl confirms that Molly has the power of intuition, and guides her through a vision of her family’s past. But Molly is horrified to discover that her father was once a Red Army soldier and that not all of her family’s power was good. Scared of her power and betrayed by her parents’ secrets, Molly denies her ability and pursues a brief romance with Ivan. But when he joins the Red Army, Molly, troubled by his growing darkness, rejects him.

A violent altercation between Red Soldiers and the locals make Molly realise the depth of her feelings for Sam when he, along with Molly, stands up to the soldiers – now including Ivan. Molly decides to confront the past – and her own power – to protect her family. In a final visit to Pearl, Molly learns that Ari defected from the Red Army to protect Moriah and her family, long-persecuted because of their magic. Molly accepts that not only can she see into the past, but she can use the strength of her ancestors to challenge darkness with light.

Molly connects with Sam, and they fall in love. But when Ari’s identity is uncovered by the Red Army, Molly is chased down by Ivan and nearly killed. By summoning the powers of her ancestors, she survives – and in the process, gives Ivan a chance to redeem himself. Molly and Sam are forced to flee, leaving their parents and a burning Russia, behind. As they board a ship bound for America and an uncertain future, Molly realises that she is the only hope for the survival of her family’s history and magic.