Lydia Gingerich’s best friend, Reuben Hostetler, is nursing a broken heart from his last failed relationship. Time and time again, she’s stood by his side while he’s taken every other girl in the district out, but never her. She’s been more like a sister to him, and she’s treated him like a brother, but he’s never been that to her, not in her heart. However, she doesn’t harbor any illusions. She’s not what men want in a wife. She’s plain, plump and can’t cook or sew. In many ways, she sees herself as a failure.
With Christmas approaching, Lydia finds herself in Reuben’s house, helping to take care of his grandmother who is recovering from a bout of pneumonia. Little does she know that twisting her ankle and being forced to quit her job at the bakery would end up benefiting her in so many ways.
Reuben’s grandmother, Esther, has the time and patience to show Lydia how to cook and bake. They spend their days in the kitchen over one recipe or another, but Lydia learns about more than just cooking. She gleans wisdom about patience and understanding from the matriarch of the Hostetler family.
As the much anticipated holiday draws near, Lydia senses a change in her relationship with Reuben, but what she can’t determine is if it is for the better or worse. Will he stop chasing girls who are no good for him and see her in a different light, or will she just end up with a broken heart instead?