When young widow Ingrid Larkin opens the door of her tenement on a cold December night, trouble enters. Living in the shadow of the meat packing plant, death often comes calling, but the injured worker brought to her door is a stranger. Caleb Finsson’s dangerous assignments never threaten anyone but himself, until he lists a fictitious address on a work card that matches the residence of a beautiful woman. Separate goals lead Ingrid and Caleb to Joy, Illinois, a little town whose very name promises hope and happiness, but both must resolve past issues before searching for a joy-filled future.