When a cataclysm of staggering dimension leaves civilization in ruins, Hank Shumway - a family man of no particular distinction - is propelled into the role of savior. Fueled by a fear of mounting anarchy, Hank convinces friends and neighbors to join his household in their escape from the starving city. As he struggles to lead a motley mix of refugees from the devastated suburbs of Vancouver, Washington to the abundant tranquility of an isolated mountain meadow, his personal trek becomes littered with appalling choices and shocking discoveries that threaten to utterly destroy his soul.