It is 1878 and a yellow fever epidemic has turned the boisterous city of Memphis solemn and fearful. The fever has taken Eli’s mother and sister and driven his grieving father away. All alone, he vows to harden his heart against further loss.

Yet, Eli is soon drawn to Grace, an angelic, otherworldly girl. People call her the Graveyard Girl, for she tolls the bell for each new dead soul in the cemetery. Sometimes it seems to Eli that Graces is the one good thing left in a city drowning in despair, and her kindness and warmth slowly begin to thaw his resolve. When Eli is sought out by Addie, a little girl even more vulnerable than himself, the Graveyard Girl urges him to let go of his own grief and open his heart to her. But even the Graveyard Girl may not be able to help when the ghosts of loved ones begin to visit Eli and Addie.