Theo Persons has lost his way. Unemployed and separated, he impulsively takes custody of his teenaged niece, Katie, and soon finds himself on a search for his long-missing brother. Part mystery, part odyssey, the story follows Theo and Katie as they search the back roads of south Texas using clues left in a set of cryptic journals. In starting a new life together, Katie and Theo struggle to forge a relationship and come to terms with their family history. Interrupted by a devastating hurricane, a budding romantic interest and a violent confrontation, the story comes to a surprising end in a south Texas colonia.