Maybelle can't sew. But when she finds an unfinished quilt in the attic
of her mother's house, she gets the crazy idea to complete it. At first,
it's just a way to fill the lonely nights while her husband, staff
sergeant Holden Kanzinzki, is away fighting in World War II. Yet when
Maybelle discovers that the quilt is made from scraps of material that
can be traced back through her family heritage, the project is suddenly
much more important.
Then word comes that Holden is missing in action, and with little else
to do, Maybelle clings to the quilt as much as to the hope that her
husband is still alive. As neighborhood friends gather around Maybelle
to help her through the unknown days and nights ahead, it is the quilt
that becomes a symbol of her unflagging belief that Holden will return -
to her, to their home, and to their quilt-covered bed.