Ever since he can remember, Robin, son of Sir John de Bureford, has been told what is expected of him as the son of a nobleman: he must learn the ways of knighthood. But Robin's destiny is changed in one stroke; he falls ill and loses the use of his legs. Fearing a plague, his servants abandon him. Saved by Brother Luke, a friar, he teaches Robin how to swim and carve wood, about patience and strength, telling Robin that he must "find the door in the wall" to overcome his challenges.