Two women, a generation apart in age, move into a small community in southeastern Vermont. The people in town are unsophisticated and kind. However, some have a secret that should never be revealed.

Neither of these two women have any knowledge of their past.

The older of the two, Jackie Patnode, is content with her day-to-day life and is not curious about her history.

The younger, Carrie Franklin, has no knowledge of her life before she was four years old. She was a very difficult child who could never develop relationships with other children or the adults who entered her life. She still has this affliction. She cannot abide being touched.

Carrie believes she may have lived in this town as a very small child. She hopes to learn about her life there and if events there caused her to have this distrust of people. She is less than candid with the townspeople about her reason for moving into their community.

Carrie's landlady, Maggie Scranton, is determined that she meet people from town, especially those her own age.

The people Carrie meets will have a significant impact on her life, both positively and negatively.

One person watches Carrie's every move. If she learns too much about her past, she will not be allowed to live.