Following the loss of his wife to cancer, Peter Greer realizes he's got to make a change if he's going to continue living despite his grief. He buys an old Victorian house he and his wife dreamed of buying for years in an effort to shake off his lack of motivation and sorrow. The old house is one of the first built in town, on the top of one of Snohomish, Washington's many hills.

As Pete works to renovate the house, he discovers a time portal hidden in an old carriage house on the property. An elderly gentleman named Henry Jorgansen, who owned the house before Pete, aids in this discovery, as he is the current guardian of the portal. Henry teaches Pete about the workings of the portal, turns its care over to him, and Pete ventures back to Snohomish of the 1950s.

After Pete's fifteen-year-old granddaughter accidentally discovers the portal, the two decide it would be a wonderful adventure for Emily to attend school at Snohomish High for the fall quarter of 1958. What started off as a fun-filled couple of months, ends up with life-altering trials for both Pete and Emily which could change their futures.