Told primarily from the viewpoint of Heaven Casteel's mother, Leigh VanVoreen, the novel explains her secrets and circumstances as a 13-year-old girl who was forced to flee her wealthy Boston home, resulting in her dying in childbirth and leaving behind her daughter, Heaven, to be raised in the hills of West Virginia.

The novel opens with Annie Casteel Stonewall returning to Farthinggale Manor ("Farthy") for the funeral of her father, Troy Tatterton.

Hoping to finally put the past to rest, Annie feels drawn to the suite that used to be occupied by her great-grandmother, Jillian.

Intending to live with her grandmother Jana in Texas, Leigh purchased a train ticket in Atlanta but missed her connection and was stranded.

When she woke up in the middle of the night, Luke told her that he had fallen in love with her and wanted to be the father of her baby.

Although they had only known each other for one day, they got married and returned to Luke's West Virginia mountain home, where teenage marriage was more socially acceptable.

After meeting Luke's parents, Annie and Toby, Leigh worked hard around the shack, and she ignored the stares or rude remarks of local residents.

After finishing the diary, Annie finds a note from a private investigator hired by Tony, stating that he discovered Leigh died in childbirth due to inadequate medical care.

The implication is that both Tony and Jillian knew about Heaven long before she came to Farthinggale, but decided to let her grow up in poverty rather than face what they had done to Leigh.

Additionally, in Dark Angel, Heaven tells Tony and Jillian that Leigh only died recently, and both seem to accept this statement as a fact.

Tony is shocked when he discovers that Leigh actually died in childbirth at age 14, and only then does he attempt to break off the romance between Heaven and Troy (as they are related).

On August 24, 2019, Lifetime aired an adaption of Web of Dreams starring Jennifer Laporte, Tim Donadt, Lizzie Boys, and Keenan Tracey, while Jason Priestley and Kelly Rutherford serve as executive producers.