Several months after her husband's sudden death, and troubled by one night's indiscretion, Caroline Waverly seeks refuge in the house she's inherited in East Hope, Maine. There she finds the courage to face the consequences of her choices - her precarious finances, her alienated college-age son, and the man she left behind. Will Harmon also puts his old life behind him, arriving in East Hope to run the local used bookshop. As he questions his desires and struggles with his failing marriage, Will yearns for the wisdom to do what is right. Then Caroline walks into Will's bookstore, and they establish a tentative friendship - with the promise of something more. As they seek to rescue what is most important in their lives, they cling to a distant hope--for understanding, for family, and for love.