Midwife Patience Murphy has a gift: a talent for escorting mothers through the challenges of bringing children into the world. Working in the hardscrabble conditions of Appalachia during the Depression, Patience takes the jobs that no one else wants, helping those most in need--and least likely to pay. She knows a successful midwifery practice must be built on a foundation of openness and trust--but the secrets Patience is keeping are far too intimate...

When Clara's life takes a nosedive, she realizes she hasn't been tending to her own needs and she runs away to start over in a place where no one knows her or about the mess she left behind in West Virginia. She learns that no matter how far you run, you can never truly hide from your past.