James is a silent, angry boy living in an orphanage, haunted by the memory of his father, who is serving time in jail. Graham Holt is a middle-aged postmaster living a quiet, isolated life. Now that his mother is dead, Holt is nursing his invalid father and is haunted by the emptiness of his existence. After seeing an advertisement for adoption, Holt applies to become a father to James. Neither James, who hasn't seen his father in years but loves him with an undying loyalty, nor Holt is prepared for the changes they must undergo, the truths they must face, or the risks they must take before they can learn to make a family of their own.