After a school shooting, a teacher and her students struggle to process the trauma and constant fear of death lurking around the corner at any moment. The presence of death looming carries over into the teacher's personal life, including her book club and the friends who attend it.

When a librarian finds a moving book of poetry among a donation, she is introduced to fellow lovers of the author's work who strive to preserve the poet's desire for privacy while commemorating her work.

A woman grows obsessed with a single book from the time she is a young adult to her death in old age, as the book's meaning changes for her over time.