In 1947 America, Joe and Kate Keller are a success story, despite hard choices and even harder knocks. They have built a home, raised two sons, and established a thriving business.

But nothing lasts forever, and their contented lives — already shadowed by the loss of their eldest boy to war — are about to shatter. With the return of a figure from the past, long-buried truths are forced to the surface, and the price of the American dream is laid bare.