Libby Jensen's life takes an unexpected turn on a fateful December night. A tragic car accident leaves her grappling with the loss of her husband, job, mobility, and the life she once knew. Stripped of her primary support systems, Libby must navigate the shattered remnants of her existence with only her loyal dog by her side, the encouragement of her cleaning lady, the mail carrier, a newspaper delivery boy, a company attorney and a newfound friendship.

Her journey to rebuild is hindered by the formidable obstacle of a reputation she can't escape within her late husband's family—a reputation that runs deep and wide. A reputation she is unable to shed.

Set against the backdrop of Southern California in the early 1960s, real-world events such as the United States Supreme Court case of Miranda v. Arizona, a new three-strikes law in Texas, the rise of chess prodigy Bobby Fischer, the unsettling disappearances of children across the United States, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy impact Libby's life in unexpected ways.

As an elementary school teacher by trade, Libby is unable to secure full time employment in her home state of Texas. When a midterm teaching position becomes available in Pasadena, California, Libby takes a leap of faith, leaving her family and the life she knew behind, and makes the long bus ride to an unknown land. It's there that Libby meets her husband to be as well as her new family.

Libby's husband introduces her to the game of chess and during a time before the internet, before laptop computers and before cell phones, Libby is able to explore her new found love for the game in a chess-by-mail tournament where all the moves are made through the United States postal system. These chess-by-mail moves provide Libby with connections to the outside world which she could never have imagined. Connections that will play a significant role in her life.

As circumstances beyond her control surface, threatening her living conditions and even her life, Libby, with limited resources and physical constraints, faces the daunting challenge of overcoming these obstacles or risk becoming penniless and homeless.