When Heather Barlow returns from Africa, the joy she felt during her missionary trip fades. She's still suffering from unresolved grief over the death of her friend Ian, and now that she's back home in the United States, she feels directionless. And while Heather has changed a great deal, her family has not. She is discouraged to see that her sister, Amber, seems no more mature than when Heather left, her parents no less involved with a medical practice that caters to the wealthy.

Heather's sense of purpose is renewed when she persuades her mother to travel with her back to Uganda to try to save the baby she rescued on her mission trip. But when Heather becomes ill and cannot undertake the journey, Amber agrees to go in her place. Now Amber must emerge from her sister's shadow to grapple with the age-old question, "Am I my brother's keeper?"