Brad Kennison is a returned missionary and a Vietnam vet looking for direction in his life. He makes a journey to Israel in the summer of 1973, at the height of the uneasy days leading up to the Yom Kippur War. Accompanying him through the Holy Land is Miri Shadmi, a fiery Israeli committed to the political survival of her state and scornful of Americans like Brad. With Miri as his reluctant guide, Brad feels the spiritual impact of the Garden of Gethsemane, relives the tragedies of the Holocaust at Yad Vashem, and visits Israel's monument to freedom, Masada. Along the way, the two battle about politics and religion and brave a run-in with Arab terrorists at a remote kibbutz. Rivalry soon gives way to romance, and both are forced to examine their commitment to faith, family and country.