In a cabin in the Ventana area of Big Sur California, a young family is subjected to the brutality of the father. Drunken and abusive both physically and emotionally, he subjects his two young sons, Michael and Stephen, to his cruelty while their mother, paralyzed with fear, can do nothing to stop it. Michael, then eight years old, comes between his parents in a futile attempt to end the madness, to save his mother and little brother. But his efforts go horribly wrong, and the repercussions of this one catastrophic event affect both boys for the rest of their lives, sending them on very different and separate paths.Coming to grips with reality is hindered by truths buried deeply within each of them. These truths are revealed only when forces beyond their understanding bring the brothers together halfway around the world after almost sixty years apart. Nature's most furious upheavals and subsequent creations play a significant and mysterious role in determining the outcome for each of the brothers, while these same forces alter the lives of the people who struggle to support and love them. In the end, these forces will have the final word.Fate has patiently awaited her turn.