1950. William Lee, an American expat in Mexico City in his early 50s, spends his days almost entirely alone, except for a few contacts with other members of the small American community. His encounter with Eugene Allerton, a young student new to the city, shows him, for the first time, that it might be finally possible to establish an intimate connection with somebody.

When a cartel gunman is killed, he leaves behind Sujo, his beloved 4-year-old son. The shadow of violence surrounds Sujo during each stage of his life in the isolated Mexican countryside. As he grows into a man, Sujo finds that fulfilling his father’s destiny may be inescapable.