Douglas Romer's career as a Vicar comes crashing down as he fails to come to terms with his young wife's sudden and violent death. He takes a temporary leave of absence from his Sheffield parish and heads to the coastal town of Dingle in his wife's homeland of Ireland. Here he meets various people whose lives become intricately tied to his. Among these new friends is Dorchadas, a man who claims to be a retired angel. He also meets several people whom he never imagined meeting, not least because they come from a time long before his.