"I had something specific in mind. I wanted to put my life up on stilts and rebuild my foundation. I'd seen it done before, with a house. It was possible, I thought, with a life, too." Sophia is sinking into a state of sad resignation when she receives a postcard offering hope. Without much thought, she seizes the opportunity to leave the dry heat of Arizona and settle into a spare cottage in the fog of Northern California. As she discovers a new landscape and pace of life, she questions her obligation to return home.