Set in South Africa, with all its current problems, Mo Quinn is born into a family with an indifferent mother and an alcoholic father. Although very intelligent, far above average, he has little hope of becoming someone of significance. Yet when life deals him another bad hand, he embarks on a journey that teaches him the tremendous highs and terrible lows of life. Throughout the story, the reader becomes aware that Mo is no ordinary man, and that he has another quest to complete, a quest not of this world. We meet the people who become Mo's friends and family, and we also live through their pain and happiness, how it affects him, and how it ultimately brings him to the final conclusion of his quest.