Sugar Magnolia longs for her life in Biloxi, Mississippi, to hold more than hard work at the quaint old hotel she inherited from her mother. When a hurricane blows into the bay with a vengeance, she discovers a handsome stranger washed ashore and almost dead. Forced to nurse him herself, she finds her heart desperately wanting him to live. When he does regain consciousness, they are both dismayed to learn that he has no memory of his life before waking up at Sugar's hotel.

Not even knowing his name, Sugar's stranger chooses to call himself Noah and finds comfort in the one thing that was not lost to him-his relationship with God. In spite of Sugar's previous lack of interest in spiritual things, she sees the strength that Noah draws from knowing God. She longs for peace and for healing of childhood wounds that have scarred her as a woman. Can Noah's God bring restoration to her as well?

The knowledge that he could have a wife somewhere prevents Noah and Sugar from expressing the deep feelings that are growing between them. When Noah's identity does become known, they are faced with new challenges. Although Noah seems confident that God will somehow work things out, Sugar's faith is new and untested; their problems seem as insurmountable as the huge waves that brought Noah into her life. Now that she has finally found love, will she still be forced to live without it? Or is Noah right-is God really capable of bringing good out of the storm that surrounds them?