When Megan Juddman learns that "friendly fire" killed her husband in the Gulf War, guilt and bitterness consume her -- guilt over a shameful secret she harbors and bitterness over a suspected government cover-up. After escaping to her hometown, Twisp, in eastern Washington, she meets Tharon Marsh, a decorated officer in the Gulf War who has also come to the valley to bury a painful past. Their friendship grows towards something deeper until Megan discovers Tharon's terrible secret: he ordered the fire that killed her husband. Their personal turmoil increases when the disasters of the September11, World Trade Center attacks, thrust the country into a new war and Tharon is recalled to active duty. Tension reaches the breaking point when, over Megan's protests, her troubled eighteen-year-old son enlists. Will Megan be able to relinquish her hold on the past and find a way to forgive?