In a town with a name like Niederbipp, you might expect the townsfolk to be a little quirky.  And  you'd be right.  But for Jake Kimball, if the timing and circumstances were different, this would be a dream come true.  As it is, he's afraid he agreed too hastily to spend the summer working his way through the mess Isaac Bingham, the old potter - God rest his soul - left behind.

As Jake begins his work in the old studio, he becomes aware of a unique collection of mugs hanging from an overhead beam.  When friends of the old potter stop by to sip peppermint tea from these mugs and tell their stories, Jake begins to understand the remarkable man he has come to replace.  With the help of his new friend Amy, Jake pieces together the secrets of life Isaac lived by and shared with all who knew him.