Set in Imperial Beach, California, the story focuses on the Yosts, a family of surfers. Into this world steps a mysterious stranger named John. Soon after, things begin to happen to the Yosts, and those whose lives they touch.
Just north of the border with Mexico, in the tired coastal town of Imperial Beach, California, live three generations of Yosts: surfing royalty turned society misfits. The Yost's reign and reputation, once defined in the curl of a perfect wave, has been eroded by years of bad luck, addiction and hubris. But just as things are looking like they can't get worse, a stranger named John arrives – and the Yosts' banal existence is lifted into something profound, miraculous and, possibly, universal.