Life couldn't get more awful for James Moody. Between social isolation and family tragedies he manages to mostly stay cheerful. In his darkest hours he finds his soul transported to 'Root,' a way station for souls in transition. When his lapses become more frequent and Reapers seek to facilitate his transit to the land of the dead, he finds possible salvation and maybe even love among a guild of dream weavers. He takes refuge with Karla, a long-term resident of Root, until he can sort out the detritus of his physical life and solve the mystery of Karla's location and identity in the living world.