Recently engaged Harry Feversham, son of a soldier and descendant of a long line of soldiers, receives word that his regiment is going overseas. For complex reasons he suddenly resigns rather than be deployed. This action brands him a coward among his fellow officers and his fiancée, who present him with white feathers, a symbol of cowardice.

To regain his honor, Feversham sets out for Egypt and Sudan, where he awaits opportunities to redeem himself. His daring adventures are beset with betrayal, torture, and imprisonment. Meanwhile, his fiancée is racked with regret, and tries to convince herself she no longer loves him, while simultaneously becoming romantically entangled with Feversham’s friend, a soldier in the regiment.

The Four Feathers is recognized for its vivid settings, as well as its characters’ complex emotions and motivations. Mason had traveled widely in Egypt and Sudan by camel along caravan routes, visiting the places he describes so clearly in the novel.