A social and political chameleon, James Penfield makes his money rearranging the facts, a talent he ruthlessly exploits in his professional relationships. But his penchants for storytelling leaks its way into his private life when he reinvents his past in the pursuit of Susie, the attractive and sophisticated daughter of upper class intellectuals.

But as James twists himself tighter and tighter in his web of deceit, the stakes spin out of control and the sacrifice is more than just a printed story.