Nils and Ginger meet quite by accident and neither pursue the relationship until an interest in literature brings them together. Nils is a widower, Ginger a divorcee; both are lonely. Their friendship progresses quickly in spite of Ginger's children who view their mother's friend negatively. When one of them develops a serious, life threatening illness, the other must decide how to cope and how to plan for the future. The solution they choose reflects their attitudes toward aging, religion and ethics.