In October 1947, after a summer long drought, fires break out all along the Maine coast from Bar Harbor to Kittery and are soon racing out of control from town to village. Five months pregnant, Grace Holland is left alone to protect her two toddlers when her husband, Gene, joins the volunteer firefighters.

Along with her best friend, Rosie, and Rosie's two young children, Grace watches helplessly as their houses burn to the ground, the flames finally forcing them all into the ocean as a last resort.

The women spend the night frantically protecting their children, and in the morning find their lives forever changed: homeless, penniless, awaiting news of their husbands' fate, and left to face an uncertain future in a town that no longer exists.

In the midst of this devastating loss, Grace discovers glorious new freedoms--joys and triumphs she could never have expected her narrow life with Gene could contain--and her spirit soars. And then the unthinkable happens--and Grace's bravery is tested as never before.


1947 年 10 月，夏季久旱造成大火延燒缅因州海岸，從巴爾港延伸到基特里，火勢在城鎮間即將失去控制。丈夫吉恩加入志願消防隊時，懷有五個月身孕的葛蕾斯･荷嵐獨自留在家中保護她兩個年幼孩子。

葛蕾斯與摯友蘿希和蘿希的兩個小孩，無助地看著自己的家被燒成灰燼，最後大火使他們不得不跳入海中。

兩位母親徹夜保護自己的孩子，卻在黎明時發現過往的生活已不復存在，他們無家可歸、身無分文，一面等待丈夫的消息，一面在留在這個全毀的的城市中面對未知的未來。

歷經這次慘痛的浩劫，葛蕾斯發現嶄新的自由，她從沒想過吉恩與她狹隘的人生能夠有如此的喜悅和成就，這使她欣喜若狂。接著不可思議的事情發生了，葛蕾斯面臨前所未見的考驗。