During the mid seventies Ruth travels to the tropical jungle of Africa's Ivory Coast to begin her service in the Peace Corps. She meets Ivorian school teacher, Kwassi, and finds herself unable to resist his charms. Little does Ruth know about Kwassi's future as tribal leader and inheritor of the secret healing power of the Skpon. While she fights to understand the complex web of his culture's magic and mystery, Kwassi becomes a victim of his own spells and falls more deeply in love with Ruth. As lovers, they spiral into a web of contradictions, clashes of culture, and misperception. As individuals, they struggle to accept their separate destinies before it is too late.