Plot
The film begins with Sarah Cain (Lisa Pepper), a successful columnist at the fictional Portland Times in Portland, Oregon. Her daily column has been rejected by her boss Bill (Elliott Gould) who claims that she once wrote about her life, and is now writing puff pieces. While out to dinner with her boyfriend Bryan (Tom Tate), Sarah's phone rings. It is Lyddie (Abigail Mason), Sarah's teen-aged niece who she has never met before. She has called to tell Sarah that her older sister, Ivy, has just died of heart failure. Sarah hurries to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania for the funeral.
Her sister married a man who was a member of an Amish community, but he died several years ago when he was hit by a car. Since Sarah is the sole surviving relative, the court appoints her as the legal guardian for Ivy's five children. Members of the community protest because they do not want an outsider to raise the children. Miriam (Tess Harper) and Lyddie convince Sarah to stay the night in order for her to figure out what she wants. While there, knowing that her deadline is coming up for her column, Sarah writes about her day's events and sends them to Bill as a last resort.
The next day at the hearing, Sarah receives a surprising e-mail about her piece. The readers loved it and want more. Sarah decides to take the children back to Portland. Lyddie stays at home and does the daily chores. Despite being labeled as a freaks at school, Caleb (Soren Fulton) becomes a star on the wrestling team. Anna Mae (Danielle Chuchran) gains attention from boys after borrowing Sarah's clothing to fit in. Josiah (Tanner Maguire) trully hates it there. Only Hannah (Bailee Madison), who's six years old, is accepted on her first day in kindergarten.
Bill likes the attention that the articles about the Amish children have produced, but Sarah rejects further offers of having the column being solely about them. Meanwhile, Madison (Jennifer O'Dell), Sarah's rival at the paper, discovers where the children attend school and has a news team shows up during one of Caleb's wrestling matches. Later that night Sarah admits to the kids that the situation has spun out of control. As Sarah is leaving the community, the children rush to catch up with her. Sarah stops and Lyddie hands her a letter that Ivy had written which contains her last wishes. It is only then that the truth is revealed: Ivy wanted Sarah to have the kids as an apology for breaking her heart, saying that they would be "blessings to as they were to me". Sarah immediately changes her mind and finally decides to stay at the community with her nieces and nephews. The ending shows Sarah writing a book titled My Redemption. Bryan comes over to visit before a business meeting and brings her a piece of her favorite cheesecake as the scene fades.
Read more about this topic: Saving Sarah Cain
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