The novel is a period piece set in Pennsylvania in the 1950's. The main protagonist is a man named Eric Snow who escapes from prison and takes refuge in the woods outside of a small town with a father, Robert Duncan, and his daughter, Elise. Eric is taken in though they don't know about his past. Eric slowly reveals his story to them as they share their past with him, he works on their farm and becomes an integral part of their lives. The sheriff of their small town is wary of him as Eric pursues a relationship with a local woman, his imprisonment as well as the events leading up to it and his escape are told in flashbacks. When tragedy befalls the family, Eric must decide whether to stay and risk going back to prison or to run and start all over again.