Genetics, environment, divine intervention: what incredible forces created this man -- the world's most perfect killing machine with a heart as big as the great outdoors? At long last, all will be revealed. Set in the late nineteenth century, The Hill focuses on the childhood and adolescence of three characters: James, a cheerful but frail boy; Rose, a beautifully innocent orphan; and Dog, an abused slave. When one begins to manifest mutant powers, their world changes forever and a hero is born.