Gregory Reeves struggles to reconcile his itinerant upbringing with a desperate, consuming ambition to transcend the poverty of his youth. Raised by a charismatic but penniless preacher, Gregory initially accepts his family's transient existence and his father's vague philosophy, known as the Infinite Plan. As he matures, the constraints of the Los Angeles barrio become intolerable, driving him to seek status and wealth through the military and the legal profession. The narrative follows his trajectory from the battlefields of Vietnam to the competitive halls of Berkeley, examining the psychological toll of his relentless pursuit of success.

This novel is often analyzed for its departure from the magical realism that characterizes much of the author's other work. The narrative is frequently noted for its grounded, gritty approach to the American experience, focusing on the harsh realities of social mobility and the immigrant struggle. Readers and critics often highlight the protagonist's complex, sometimes frustrating evolution as he attempts to shed his past. The work serves as a character study that questions the validity of the promises inherent in the American Dream. The prose maintains a steady, observational pace that mirrors the protagonist's own relentless drive toward his goals.