On a warm May night in San Francisco, a glittering, celebrity-studded crowd gathers for a charity event. Just minutes before midnight, the room begins to sway. Glass shatters, the lights go out, and people start to scream.... In the earthquake's aftermath, the lives of four strangers will converge: Sarah Sloane, the beautiful wife of a financial star, watches her perfect world fall to pieces. Melanie Free, award-winning singer, comes to a turning point in her career. Everett Carson, a former war correspondent whose personal demons have demoted him to covering society parties, finds new purpose amid the carnage. Sister Maggie Kent, a nun who does her best work in jeans and trainers, searches through the rubble - and knows instantly that there is much work to be done. The city staggers back to life, and a chain reaction will touch each of the survivors as they find the amazing grace of new beginnings.