The book starts in the late 1940’s in Tel-Aviv. It is an intellectual affair b between Tamir, a high school student, and Leah, the family’s house cleaner, who tries to make him into a young communist. In this she fails. Tamir is involved in the political turmoil of the pre-Israel Palestine. However, he is also keenly aware that his sexual interests are different from those of other boys. Eventually, communist Leah winds up in a Soviet-era gulag, and Tamir in the U.S. as a student, still unsure about his sexuality.

Many years later Leah, now in San Francisco, a devotee of rogue guru and Tamir meet in San Francisco. Tamir is much more open about being gay, while Leah tries to find meaning in her life through Indian gurus. Who is happier? Tamir, who tries to find fulfillment in his gay life or Leah who expects her leaders, whether communists or Indian gurus, to reveal the Ultimate Truth to her?

The book describes the many worldwide political upheavals taking place in the second half of the 20th century as well as the emergence of a gay movement in the U.S. in the midst of the AIDS crisis.