In the spring of 1960, tragedy struck the icy waters of Lake Superior, claiming the lives of a brother and sister. Ricky Belisle, is accused of murder. Though released for lack of evidence, suspicion and shame drive him from his village—and from the girl he has always loved, Marie Jeanne Charbonneau.

Determined to prove himself worthy, Ricky takes to the road. From small towns in the American South to dusty ballfields of the West, he chases redemption as a minor-league ballplayer in an age of nuclear dread and cultural upheaval.