Andrew Kilnik is a personal teenager who is looking forward to entering the University of Michigan as a premed student. He has been raised in the theological tradition. Crucial among these beliefs are the Ten Commandments and "being in the world but not of it. His world comes crashing down when he walks in on his father and his mother's close church friend having sex. Confused and hurt, he decides that his father and the lady should pay for their sin. He decides to blackmail them. Fearing exposure to the church his father and the lady pay. Andrew's revenge takes some unusual twists and turns. His father never bothers to explain his actions. This leads to an eight year estrangement between Andrew and his father. During this time, his father's lady friend is murdered and his close college friend dies. Andrew seeks counseling and learns more about the anxiety he is suffering and how 'being in the world but not of it' can provide valuable lessons regarding the wisdom of being the custodian of a love ones problems.