Sparrow James, recent high school graduate, is destitute, homeless, and completely aloneā¦until an eccentric elderly woman named Etta White offers her a job as a live-in helper. The two quickly form a bond of friendship that goes far beyond employer/employee. When Sparrow meets Ettaās son, a soldier home on leave, the pair begin corresponding via letter, neither realizing the missives are exactly what they both need to heal their broken lives. But Jobās letters stop, and Sparrow fears the worst. If thatās not bad enough, Sparrow finds out Etta is battling cancer, and the womanās time may be short. Sparrowās world begins to crumble around her and the only one that can stop the destruction is a soldier missing on the other side of the world. Job and Ettaā¦soldier and mother. Sparrowās only lifelines in a cold, cruel world. What will Sparrow do when those two abruptly snap?