San Francisco, late 1971. Quiet Marvin, a reclusive man in his early 40s, has been convicted of murder. He is sent to the infamous Alcatraz prison, where he ends up on death row awaiting execution. Unlike his fellow inmates, he hopelessly accepts the difficult situation, even though he knows that he is innocent. One day when he receives a mysterious letter from a young girl, he is very surprised. Nevertheless, he begins a pen pal relationship with the shy Shiloh, which gradually grows in deep trust and an inexplicable sense of belonging. But Shiloh seems to be hiding something from Marvin that is slowly threatening to come to light... The moving novel describes the exchange of letters between two lonely people who are connected in their souls and can thus cope with even the most difficult situations and circumstances.