Joshua Clark is nearing the end of his senior year at Cooper State University. He is destined to be valedictorian of the Class of '77. Suddenly, his world is shaken by devastating news. His beloved cousin Lawrence has been hospitalized with a life-threatening illness. Shattered by the prognosis, Joshua makes an unheralded trip back home to Philadelphia, interrupting his studies at Cooper. He finds solace in Sarah, a quick-witted fashion model on hiatus and a close family friend. A covert romance quickly blossoms between them. Joshua falls in love despite her possessive former lover, unaware that she is driven by revenge. Meanwhile, his love of poetry leads the amorous wordsmith down a path of spiritual enlightenment in a time of deep sorrow and malcontent. Will the love between Joshua and Sarah prevail?