At sixty-nine, widower Maxfield Porter looks and feels like anything but a senior citizen. Even so, under pressure from his son and daughter-in-law, he agrees to sell his comfortable home and move to Amberfields, a retirement community. He finds it difficult to fit into this new environment; he feels like an ancient Eskimo who has been put out on an ice floe to join his ancestors -until a chance meeting brings new meaning to his life, his ice floe melts and palm trees grow in Amberfields.
Marion Wade is also a new resident of Amberfields. She is a widow with whom Max feels an instant rapport. As they get to know each other they discover shared interests and a level of comfort that neither has known for a long time. But before they can commit, Marion must face the demon that has plagued her since the death of her husband and Max has to confront the machinations of his overly ambitious daughter-in-law and, if possible, save his son's marriage.
What begins as a promising relationship between these two seniors turns into a complex and challenging struggle in which they learn that love alone doesn't always conquer all.