Although he grows into a difficult and taciturn husband, he is straightforward, honest, and a doting dad. And he is the last person one would suspect of being a killer -- until he wakes in the woods one morning to find himself under investigation for murder. Suddenly, his small world falls apart as he loses his wife, daughter, liberty, livelihood, and (nearly) his mind.

Bereft and confused, Lawrence makes a journey of self-discovery across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, where a passionate liaison with a living legend throws his life into further chaos. Seeking sanctuary at an alternative therapy center among the giant redwoods of northern California, Lawrence finally stumbles on a possibility of happiness, but not before chance encounters and long-hidden secrets have conspired to unearth the deeply buried roots of his misfortune.

With a bold mixture of tragicomedy, harsh truth, and sublime fantasy, Patrick Gale has created a vivid and compelling portrait of a man at odds with himself, and an extended family of friends and lovers trying to form its proper shape.