It is 1878 and a yellow fever epidemic has turned the boisterous city of Memphis solemn and fearful. The fever has taken Eli's mother and sister and driven his grieving father away. All alone, he vows to harden his heart against further loss.

Yet Eli is soon drawn to Grace, an angelic, otherworldly girl. People call her the Graveyard Girl, for she tolls the bell for each new dead soul at the cemetery. Sometimes it seems to Eli that Grace is the one good thing left in a city drowning in despair, and her kindness and warmth slowly begin to thaw his resolve. When Eli is sought out by Addie, a little girl even more vulnerable than himself, the Graveyard Girl urges him to let go of his own grief and open his heart to her. But even the Graveyard Girl may not be able to help when the ghosts of loved ones begin to visit Eli and Addie.

Anna Myers's insight and warmth make Graveyard Girl a deeply moving portratit of three young people and their struggle to persevere in the face of tragedy.