Widower Collin Matthews retires to Port Tiffany, Washington, intending to write and sail to Alaska, but people keep drawing him into their lives and he's running out of time, energy, and patience. He's lived his accomplished life powered by his own creativity, brains, and energy but he has a growing fear he is running out of energy.
A dying neighbor, a cheerful pastor, a mystery, a daughter in distress, and an intriguing woman from New Mexico all ply upon his time and heart. Will he remain self-reliant or will he consider a new energy source? Is God available to him? Is God smart?