Married artist Jessie (Basinger), suffering from ennui, must return to her hometown in Egret Island, SC when her mother inexplicably begins mutilating herself. Still haunted by the death of her father, Jessie discovers the truth about her past, rediscovers her passion for art, and then her passion for love when she falls for very hunky Benedictine monk Brother Thomas (Carter). Based on the bestselling novel by Sue Monk Kidd.