In the small Alberta town of Tomorrow, young Arthur yearns for a larger life. He is intelligent, curious, garrulous, romantic and at odds with his surroundings and his religion. His one ally is his adopted cousin, the fearless Isobel. Their mutual admiration for the land, for literature, for all things French and for each other sustains Arthur. When his brother Bev goes to fight in Vietnam and returns emotionally broken, relationships within the family change and tensions between the two brothers rise.