Emma Garret is eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring, when her three children and grandchildren will travel back to Candlewood to celebrate her birthday at Hill House, the boardinghouse she oversees. Though anxious to introduce her sons to Zachary Breckenwith, the man who's been courting her, her sons' own problems--and wounds deeply hidden since childhood--soon overshadow her joy. As Zachary presses Emma for an answer to his marriage proposal, Emma faces a host of dilemmas. Struggling to help her children, to determine the fate of Hill House, and plan her future with Zachary, Emma must rely on her wits, her determination, and her faith to help her fully understand the meaning of family, friendship, and love.