A tale of familial grief, structured around a collection of Les Murray poems, that focuses on the story of two Australian men--a father and a son--who have lost the most treasured woman in their lives. Following the death of his beloved wife, emotionally isolated woodcutter Neville is paralyzed by the loss and unable to care for his son, Blake. Shipping the boy off to a distant boarding school, Neville plunges further into despair to find himself living in a suspended reality where dreams appear real. Several years later, Blake, now a young man, returns to his former home, shocked to discover what has become of his father.