By turns joyous, gritty, tender, and shocking, this is a story of love and war. But it differs greatly from other tales of love. Gary Reed is taken from the quiet security of a mountain village in the Southwest to the destruction and carnage of the Vietnam War. As with many others who fight our wars, his experiences change him. After his Navy service ends, Gary returns to the mountains of New Mexico, his former paradise. He hopes to recover from his traumatic experiences and restore meaning to his life by reuniting with Kristina Preston, his high school sweetheart. Yet Kristy too has been injured, not only by events in her earlier life, but by the toxic and long-lasting consequences of war that have spread far beyond the fields of battle. Just as we often know little about the deeply buried experiences of others, even those who are closest to us, Gary at first is unaware of her injuries. In time, she and Gary discover the concealed menace that lies within the shadows of their imagined Eden.