St. Louis, Missouri 1932

Too poor to afford a funeral, firefighter Tony Scaglione and his wife Claire bury their fourteen-month-old daughter in a secluded woods. While driving around town that night, Tony stops to smoke a cigarette. Out of the darkness, a lost little girl wanders to his Packard coupe and promptly climbs inside. Overwhelmed by grief and blind to the consequences, he takes the child. Tony, Claire, and their new daughter return to the city, not knowing how this crime will affect their future.

Ten years later, druggist John Bartlett has an engaging conversation with the young and vibrant Suzanne. The young girl reminds him of his own daughter, Elizabeth, lost so many years ago. When the Bartletts meet and become friends with the Scagliones, they begin a collision course with fate. Finally, the truth of the past is learned and everyone is astounded ... including the reader.