The shadow of the Cold War, the healing power of horses, an iconic rescued dog, and a sixth-century poet’s cry of grief are guideposts in this story of love and homecoming.

With a brand-new doctorate, Kurt Schafer is about to begin his academic career. But first, he travels to Linden Grove, a small town in northern Illinois, to meet for the first time his Aunt Eva, a childhood victim of the Cold War.

His father’s suicide a dozen years earlier has frozen Kurt’s adult life into a destructive cycle of self-doubt and guilt. In Linden Grove, Kurt begins his journey to a full life. He volunteers in a therapeutic riding program, learns about community from a Quaker meeting, and shares his work on Old English poetry with Sarah Eliot, a college English teacher. In the end, Kurt’s brush with death makes him realize his love for Sarah.