After her divorce, Nolee Burnett leaves the dusty plains of West Texas for an island cabin nestled in spruce trees in the Pacific Northwest, determined to craft a new life for herself. Next door is her mysterious neighbor Keet Noland, who owns and is the Captain of a sailboat charter company. Weary of his own unhappiness, Keet plans to leave the island, and the life he's built there, behind.
Rumors surrounding Keet intrigue Nolee; he swims in the cold Salish Sea at night and seems as comfortable in the water as the large male orca Nolee spots swimming in the bay outside her cabin. Keet has an unusual affinity with the local killer whales, and Nolee is drawn into his world, even as she rebuilds her own.
As Keet and Nolee get to know one another, they embark on an odyssey of discovery, leading them to experiences neither could have imagined. This is a story about choosing to love despite differences, and the liberation that happens when we tell ourselves the truth.