The socially turbulent summer of 1964 triggers a cyclone of upheaval. For both the nation and Davey Dodd, a sheltered 17-year-old from Kentucky. At the onset, he remains blissfully unaware of the radical changes about to come. He takes a job across the river at a large Cincinnati hotel, which at first intensifies his feelings of unworthiness and self-doubt. His rigid Catholic upbringing has fostered a sort of emotional paralysis. The coarse masculinity of most of his peers intimidates him, yet at the same time he wishes he could be more like those freewheeling guys who boast of sexual escapades and other easy sins. As the weeks unfold, however, the diverse people and situations he encounters open his eyes to a colorful new world: one that emboldens him to explore this disconcerting passion he feels for co-worker, Tony DeStefano. Set against the backdrop of the Freedom Summer's burgeoning civil rights movement, Davey embarks on a journey toward his own acceptance and personal integrity.