In 1908 in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, a terrible fire claimed the lives of 172 school children and three adults. The impact of this sad event was felt around the world. The fire forever changed the way schools were constructed, demanded the implementation of crash bars on all exterior doors, the placement of fire-fighting equipment, alarms, and later sprinkler systems in schools across the United States and in other nations. This event forever affected the lives of the relatives of the deceased and the survivors. The story begins on the day young Susan Robbins opens an antique show featuring a handmade Secretary Desk. Her intuition tells there is something special about this desk, but she cannot be sure what it is. From there the story slips back one hundred years where we meet Ebb Collard, a cabinet maker, who has recently fled with his family to Lake County. Ebb was at the scene of the Great School Fire. There, certain community leaders blamed him for the disaster. In the country we meet a host of colorful characters: Feargus Ware, the oilman; Elmer Rodell, the prayerful mechanic; Abner Steele, the prophetic mill operator; Alice Hasseler, the robust widow. These and other characters support Ebb and his family as he struggles to atone for his unfounded guilt. In the end, one tenuous phone call to a disinterested bar tender saves the day for Susan. Tears and laughter flow in this timeless drama of the human heart.