Hope shines brightest when all seems lost. Charlotte Willoughby has led a predictable life. Born and raised in Hope Springs, her family expected her to return after college, and she did. Now in her mid-twenties, she's ready to begin her third year as a phys ed teacher at Hope Springs High. But life as usual takes a turn as tensions rise in the town over changes at her local church. Suddenly she finds herself at odds with her family, even as she delights in newfound friendships with black people in the town. But when one of those friendships turns into a budding romance, she's pushed to the brink of deciding what's more important-tradition and family . or her identity in Christ.

Stephanie Sanders felt that God wanted her and her husband to relocate to Hope Springs, but she had no idea what the purpose was for her being there. Even as she agrees to serve as a substitute teacher at Hope Springs High, she thinks she's merely biding time-until her heart is drawn to a lonely teen named Samara. Soon Stephanie is sure this is part of her mission in Hope Springs as she sees the difference she's making-but then Samara's life takes a tragic turn . and Stephanie's is thrown into a tailspin. As shoots of hope begin to rise, Charlotte and Stephanie find that their lives-and the town-have been changed forever.