Introspective Astrid Thorpe sees herself as too tall, too loud and too outspoken, and is resolved to change. As she begins a reporting position in Fairchance, she buys an old Sears model house that needs restoration. For that work, she engages Abram Lincoln. However, in finishing up another job ,he is injured. With no place to recuperate, he accepts Astrid's offer to stay at her house until he can work. They discover a diary written by the former homeowner, describing the torturous treatment she suffered at the hands of her husband, a man widely believed to be a "good man." What became of the man is a mystery that Astrid and Abram set out to solve. At the same time, a long-ago neighbor returns, bringing with him a plan that shatters Astrid's life.