A lonely woman named Hyacinth lives on a barge anchored in a canal, is marooned by her fear of crossing running water, and sleeps during the day - in a coffin. She and a local boy fall in love.

During the colonial era in the British West Indies, bitter plantation owner Alex Brandon uses voodoo to try to get revenge on his runaway bride Sheila Trent's ex lover Raphael, after she elopes with Raphael.