Sean McGowen, son of a single mother, decides to search for the father he has never met. A new teacher in the mid-seventies, Sean encounters suicide, homicide and the roots of prejudice. His search for his father transforms into a quest for love and transcendence among the verdant forests of Wisconsin, the shimmering beaches of Guam, the seductive mountains of Colorado, and the diverse contours of California. The process induces him to reconsider his perceptions of free will, love, time and self.