Marooned on a strange planet, the humans of Calamity cobble together a settlement from the wreckage of their former lives. They name their new home Community, and while some eke a meager living from the soil, others wish in vain for rescue, “reaching for distant stars.” Still others believe the clues to survival lie with the arboreal, poisonous Drushka, the natives of Calamity.

Jania Carruthers, an anthropologist, chafes under the rules made by the colonists and the nearby Paladins, a group of warriors descended from the soldiers who crash-landed with the colonists. With the intention of helping her people better learn to survive in their home, she travels deep into drushkan territory. She must learn to live as the drushka do among the massive trees that reach high above the swamps of Calamity.

The lives of those in Community depend on what she can learn. She thinks that “Pitching oneself into unfamiliar territory must be a part of human nature,” and takes to her task eagerly, hungry for understanding. She also seeks to unravel the mystery of why so many colonists before her have vanished into the wild. But the drushka aren’t keen to give her much information. They seem intent on keeping her in the dark.

As she and the drushka face the dangerous creatures of the swamps, she grows more comfortable in the aliens' presence. Jania becomes attached to her tribe, finding more kinship with them than with any human she's ever known. Without the pull of humanity, she begins to lose herself with the aliens and begins to question her purpose:
“Out there, she felt like she had a function, something to do even if it was only to put one foot in front of the other and enjoy the camaraderie of her little band. In Community, her studies completed, she wondered what she could be. Just another planter, tender, harvester, another fetch-and-carry for the Directors."

She discovers that not all drushka are as accepting as those she has known before. The deeper she travels, the more suspicious she becomes, even questioning the loyalty of her closest friends as she discovers why her colleagues have disappeared.

Jania uncovers a plot against her people and finds herself caught in a whirlwind of suspicion, hatred, and ambition. She must decide if the drushka she has come to know and care for are dangerous enemies that she's brought close to her heart.

Well, I think it sounds pretty exciting. I'm shopping that around now. Hopefully, someone will bite. Actually I'm waiting to get a few magazine credits under my belt. I think that will really help. Cross your fingers for me.