Exuberant, 18-year-old Polly Dye, torn between pleasing her mother and pleasing her beau, moves with her family into a house that evokes a chilling sensation as she steps over the threshold. She can't decide whether something bad has happened here or if something bad is going to happen.

Soon Polly discovers the diary of the original owner, Sarah Davis. She hopes it will answer her questions about the dark foreboding she senses in the house. Instead, she wrestles with the many losses Sarah experienced while still maintaining her faith in God. What good is a God who doesn't protect one from pain, Polly's utmost goal in life?

As Polly experiences losses of her own and learns through the mistakes Sarah made, Polly realizes it's not enough to have faith in her mother's faith. Will Sarah's legacy help Polly develop a faith of her own and will her questions about the house be answered?