Set in a post-World War II Ireland, this is the story of Frankie and his mother Bernadette who, as an 18-year-old girl, left France smuggled aboard a troop ship in return for sexual favors. Put ashore in Ireland, the penniless Bernadette gives birth to Frankie. Through the kindness of customs officer Jack Kelly, Bernadette is able to raise Frankie in Dublin. Jack teaches Frankie about the stars, sparking in him a life-long mystical obsession with the cosmos. As an adult, Frankie weaves his love for and knowledge of astrology into a novel based on his recollections of his mother's history. After his book is published and he moves from isolation to potential celebrity, we discover how his mother's colorful exploits shaped Frankie's life.