It is a freezing night in March when Veronika Bergman arrives from New Zealand at her rented house north of Stockholm. Bereft after the recent death of her fiancé, Veronika is looking for a place to recover. The house is unwelcoming and unfamiliar, but as the days progress she begins to make it her own. She quickly establishes a routine of rising early, turning on her laptop to work on her novel—though the screen remains blank—and taking morning walks in the chilly, bleak grayness, until finally spring arrives, and with it, a life-changing encounter.

Astrid Mattson lives in the only house next door and is often described as “the neighborhood witch.” Indeed, she is a solitary, old woman living in a decrepit house, haunted by her past. Yet when the young woman moves in next door, Astrid takes notice. She watches from her window as Veronika emerges for her daily walks, and when several days pass without Veronika’s appearing, Astrid feels a newfound sense of concern. Surprising even herself, she goes over to Veronika’s house and, finding the woman sick with fever, Astrid makes her pancakes and tea. From that day forward, neither of their lives will be the same.

Astrid begins to join Veronika on her walks, sharing her knowledge of the landscape while also beginning to reveal the painful secrets of her life. At last, she seems to have found the confidant she’s always needed but never had. When she divulges that her husband is dying in a rest home nearby, Astrid also reveals the details of her loveless marriage, her once fierce desire for revenge, as well as a terrible confession that shocks her new friend. Veronika doesn’t react with indignation or disgust; instead she responds with her own story of love, loss, and guilt. But as she tells Astrid about the tragic death of her fiancé, she also begins to remember the happiness of falling in love.

As winter approaches again, Veronika feels it is time to take the next step in the journey of her life. Astrid agrees, and for herself believes it is also a time to move on. Her friendship with Veronika has given her the chance to care and, in return, get her life back; she has discovered that human connection can heal even a wound so deep that she thought she would never feel again. From Astrid, Veronika has learned to look for the beauty and the joy in all things, and, most importantly, she has realized that remembering, no matter how painful, can bring peace.

Two women, one whose life is only partly written and one whose story is coming to an end, help each other close one chapter of their lives and open the next. Through Astrid, Veronika has uncovered the story she needs to tell in her novel. As she had planned, it is about the power of love, but surprisingly it is not about her fiancé; that book will come later. This one will be about Astrid, who, in helping Veronika discover her story, writes the perfect ending to her own.