When the police find Becky Mertz on the edge of death they begin an investigation to determine whether her condition is a result of attempted suicide or homicide. The event sends Becky's son, Zach, to live with his grandparents in the small town of Rosland Oregon. Being expelled from school, seeing his mother in a coma, witnessing his father's arrest, and moving to an out-of-the-way place aren't thirteen year old Zach's only problems. Those are minor compared to being the focal point of a tug of war between two beings that no one but he can see: A man in a black jump suit and a warrior in shiny white. Zach's life is in the balance. Discussions about such crucial questions as evolution verses creation, why God allows pain and suffering in the world, and are people who commit suicide allowed in heaven, are woven into the story to provoke thought.