As the slums around him are being cleared, thousands of miles away preparations for the first moon landing are being made, and Henry Lothian is consumed by the idea that men really could walk upon another world. He feels compelled to prepare for this event so that he will remember every detail for the rest of his life. But not everyone shares Henry's enthusiasm. Some, his father especially, think that mounting expeditions to the moon is a waste of money. Others believe that Americans are going there for the wrong reasons and that Apollo will be squandered. When his friends move away and tragedy strikes his family, Henry is drawn towards an unlikely ally. But when conflict with his father reaches breaking point, Henry's plans for the moon landing are turned upside down, and only then does he realise that there is only one way he can prepare for the event he believes will change the world forever.