Avenue of the Giants follows Al Kenner as he progresses from antisocial adolescent to full-fledged serial killer in the turbulent '60s and '70s. A giant at over 7 feet tall with an IQ higher than Einstein's, Al was never ordinary. His life is tainted by his parents' divorce and his mother's abusive behavior, and it takes a chilling turn on the day of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Al spends 5 years in a psychiatric hospital, and although he convinces the staff that he is of sound mind, he continues to harbor vicious impulses. Al leads a double life, befriending the Santa Cruz Police Chief and contemplating marrying his daughter, all the while committing a series of brutal murders. Delving into the mind of this complex killer, Marc Dugain powerfully evokes an America torn between the pacifism of the hippie movement and the violence of Vietnam.