When David Porter is called to be the first pastor in Dawson's Creek, British Columbia, his widowed sister, Jerusha, volunteers to accompany him as housekeeper and parsonage hostess. But very soon she regrets her decision: No longer the elegant pastor's wife of Winnipeg, she is now taking in laundry to support herself and her brother.

Jerusha's frustration is compounded by the guilt she feels because she can't measure up to what she is sure God expects of her—cheerful acceptance of all her duties. Yet the warmth of the townspeople, the sincere faith evidenced in the lives of those around her, and the attentions of one special army man bring Jerusha a unique sense of joy.

When the war beckons, however, Jerusha must face the winding highway of life alone, perhaps forever, with only her growing faith to sustain her.