"Joan Sample is not living the life she expected. Now a widow and an empty-nester, she has become by her own admission something of a recluse. But after another birthday spent alone, she is finally inclined to listen to her sister, who has been begging Joan to reengage with the world. With her support, Joan gathers the courage to take some long-awaited steps: hiring someone to tame her overgrown garden, joining a grief support group, and even renting...

In the first decade of the twentieth century, "Miriam is in Blessing [N.D.] to get practical training to become an accredited nurse. She's been promised a position in the Chicago women's hospital that will enable her to support her siblings and her ailing mother. Although eager to return to her family, Miriam is surprised to find how much she enjoys the small town of Blessing. And her growing attachment to Trygve soon has her questioning a future...

Sue Barton's first year of nurse's training is filled with work, friends, a newly developed sense of responsibility, and a hint of romance.

Vivi, a college student attempting to complete an internship, TJ, a nursing student, and Ángel, a patient with heart disease, all find their lives intersecting at a university hospital during one summer that could change their lives forever.