Irving's wife, Helen, passed away over a year ago, but her presence is still very much felt by those she left behind. From the moment he met the red-headed force of nature that was Helen Donnelly, in a chance encounter at her father's bookshop, Irving knew his life would never be the same. He, an unassuming history teacher, and she, a larger-than-life aspiring writer, were not an obvious match—yet with Helen's death, Irving is consumed by a grief he can't articulate.

Now Severn, their teenage daughter—angry at him, angry at Helen—has disappeared, after stealking a book that may reveal more about her mother than she ever wanted to know. On the road, in search of Severn, Irving revisits his past with Helen as he follows a trail of clues that reveal why Severn has disappeared. Along the way, he comes face to face with some long-buried family secrets—secrets that he'll have to confront if he wants to save his relationship with his daughter.