When he gets the call that his mother has been hospitalized, Cole Spear decides, this time, to go visit her. She's cried "wolf" before, and Cole was just plain tired of it. Money is tight, and his career as a mental health therapist has stalled. Cole visits with his mother, only to be confronted by her for his failings. She implores him to "not be the man your father was."

As a child of privilege, and having lived a life of luxury, Cole also knows about loss. Cole is bitter, not broken, but has yet to find his way.

Once I Knew You is a novel about Cole's journey as he discovers information about his father, whom he lost at an early age, and the past he himself has left behind.