Joy Comes in the Mourning is the story of one woman's journey toward forgiveness—hers, as well as others. It is a love story and a story of hatred. It has a dark element of bitterness and fear running throughout, but also a healthy dose of humor. Jane Houston, an RN who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, was raised by relatives after her parents died in an accident. She suffers from depression and bitterness brought about by abuse and sin. As she contrives to help herself, she comes face to face with her fears and her need of a Savior. A brief vacation visit to her former home in Mount Tarry, a small mountain town in North Carolina, turns into a long one, and she becomes involved with many different characters as her life winds and turns, much like Mount Tarry's narrow roads. She has plans for herself and her husband, Jake, but she'll find out that plans can be divinely interrupted.