Elena Evanovich, an aspiring writer, is an emotionally broken woman struggling with her creativity. She is paralyzed with fear following multiple brushes with death, including two bouts with cancer and a near-fatal climbing accident. Alone and without answers, she casts about for meaning and inspiration.
One night, as Elena drifts into welcome sleep, she is visited by Jim, a spirit sent from above and straight out of the sixties. He is a former rock star and poet who is sent to Elena to help her, while atoning for his own wild living.
On a return trip from Las Vegas, Elena finds a book that Jim has planted for her on the plane. This book helps Elena find techniques to still her mind and to open up to the possibility of contact with spirit guides. With her mind now fully open, Jim makes his presence known to her.
The two begin to converse regularly, and Jim becomes a source of strength and peace in Elena's tumultuous life. Through Jim, Elena meets her guardian angels, and together, they sift through her past. Along the journey, Elena is briefly reunited with her dead sister.
Through their relationship and discussions, Elena finds the courage to face her fears about death, to go through reconstructive surgery after a radical mastectomy, and to write again with a newfound voice.