In 1978, modern life has yet to reach Nepal, where Cecily Havenshack lives a palatial life with her US diplomat husband. From years of wandering the old bazaar, Cecily has become immersed in Kathmandu's sensory excesses and exotic street scenes. As monsoon saturates the valley, Cecily seeks transformation and adventure. But in a place as old as belief, Cecily is not in charge of her own fate. She is shanghaied by a stranger who forces her onto a trek through mountains and monsoon. When things begin to go wrong, Cecily seems an unlikely survivor of such madness.