In a story reminiscent of Alice Hoffman and Fannie Flagg, a revisit to a rural town and a previous marriage, forces a young woman, Lucy, to examine her own relationship with death and loss. Bessie, Lucy's favorite client, creates the ember months, putting her Christmas tree up in September, aware it changes the atmosphere for her disabled daughters, a young girl struggling to fit in, her reserved neighbors, and the social worker named Lucy. The eccentric, Bessie, is willing to change her world to help the people around her. Those who know Bessie, grow to love her. But eventually she will make a decision that will rock them to their core, forcing them to question everything they knew about Bessie Black.