Tom Judd's past is clouded in awkward memories, unfulfilled dreams, and hate. For him, becoming a man is all about remembering the boy he was and learning why he wasn't the boy he should have been. His students are daily reminders of why he failed and why he has to, belatedly, learn to do it right. But it is the publication of a book capitalizing on a former teacher's scandalous past and mysterious disappearance that catalyzes Tom to "make it right." Tom's odyssey is not just painful, it is ugly, and raw, but his story is also humorous and sensitive, and, ultimately, strengthened with hope. Hope for all of us who have ever had to tell a lie, endure a parent, or grow up.