The book follows a coal and timber merchant named Bill Furlong in the final busy weeks leading up to Christmas. Furlong, whose caring disposition was largely shaped by his upbringing, was raised by a single mother who worked in the household of a widow named Mrs. Wilson. In addition to his mother, he was cared for by Mrs. Wilson and a farmhand named Ned, but the bullying that he faced at school and in the town still impacts him. The mystery of his father's identity also haunts him well into adulthood. Overall, Furlong stays focused on being a good person and providing for his family.
As Furlong makes his deliveries to clients in and outside of town before the holiday, he encounters evidence of abuse at the local convent. Alongside taking part in religious services, the Good Shepherd nuns who run the convent engage in other businesses and services. These include St. Margaret's School for Girls (which Furlong's daughters attend), a training school for wayward girls, and a laundry business. While delivering coal to the convent, Furlong witnesses the girls who supposedly attend the training school being forced to scrub floors. They bear signs of abuse, including brutally shorn hair and illnesses. One girl asks Furlong to help her escape; she is so desperate to get out that she is willing to commit suicide. The situation disturbs Furlong, but he continues with his work routine.
Some time passes, and Furlong makes another coal delivery to the convent. There, he discovers that a girl from the training school named Sarah had been locked in the coal shed longer than a single night. Furlong brings her to the front of the convent, and as they wait for the nuns, the girl asks Furlong to inquire about her 14-week-old baby. The Mother Superior herself forcefully invites Furlong in to smooth over the situation and give him his Christmas tip. The nuns bathe and dress Sarah, and convince her to tell Furlong that she mistakenly ended up in the shed after a game of hide-and-seek. Furlong challenges the Mother Superior's clear prejudice against the girls.
Furlong reluctantly attends Mass with his family, but he refuses to receive Communion. Later on, Furlong resolves to go out and see Ned. At the Wilson household, an unfamiliar woman asks Furlong if he and Ned are related, prompting Furlong to realize that Ned is likely his father. All his reflections lead Furlong to regret not having intervened more on Sarah's behalf at the convent.
Furlong drags himself to work on Christmas Eve and pays for his men to eat dinner at a local diner. The owner, Mrs. Kehoe, advises Furlong not to get too involved in the convent's affairs because it could harm his daughters' chances to study at St. Margaret's. After running errands in town, Furlong makes his way to the convent on foot, reflecting on notions of parenthood, origin, community, and morality. He finds Sarah locked in the coal shed again, and helps her get out. On the way back to his house, Furlong feels an immense sense of joy at having done what he felt was right despite the conflicts he knows will arise.
