Running from his frustrating life, Chad loses his way on Christmas Eve and soon stumbles on the remote town of Piney Meadows. Before long, he falls in love with the people of the Old Order Mennonite community, accepts a job, and settles into the area. He is touched by the good people and their strong faith, even though he still has a lingering dispute with God. Most of all, he is fond of Anna. The more he gets to know her, the more he falls in love with her. But Anna is not happy in Piney Meadows. The Mennonite community is changing, but it's not changing fast enough for her. She longs to move to Minneapolis to get a job, make her way in the world, and find herself.
Chad doesn't want her to go, but Anna can only see the freedom she imagines she will get in the big city. When she's ready to leave he contemplates leaving with her, but a personal crisis shakes Chad to his core. Feeling let down by everyone—including God—Chad wonders if Anna will now desert him too.
