The River Crossed is a love story with a twist. Jason Follett moves to a small West Virginia town looking for simple life. What he discovers instead is the dark underworld that tempts him to explore parts of himself that he'd most feared. But he also finds in his quest a new way of seeing the beauty of the river and world around him. A local woman becomes his professional and spiritual mentor and teaches him of the power of enduring friendship. He enters the high society of the town, meeting those interested in him as an artist and a lover. Children in his Head Start program challenge him to face the pain of loss and fragility of attachment. He meets Eric and is carried away by the joy of loving another man. Yet he worries if he 'comes out' to others and his family, he will lose not only his job but their acceptance. Debra, a female VISTA volunteer, captures his attention and his hopes of being in a normal relationship. Much as he tries to be faithful to her, Eric is still on his mind. His dilemma is resolved in an unexpected way when President Nixon, in his farewell speech, says something that changes Jason's mind and what he must do to be himself.