In this gentle drama set in rural North Carolina during World War II's final year, a woman named Ruby waits anxiously for her husband's return from the Pacific, unaware he is missing in action. She hires a disreputable transient to work her farm and he bonds with her 10-year-old daughter Pug, bringing much-needed companionship to their lives. As tensions rise among neighbors and bullies spread rumors about Tom, a drifter who has found a new sense of purpose helping Ruby and Pug, the lines between right and wrong become blurred.