The story revolves around keith erickson, a high profile athlete whose professional career is ended by a paralyzing injury. deserted by his actress wife, keith retires to the seclusion of a mountain retreat to begin a program of rehabilitation. in the process a symbiotic relationship develops between keith and the retinue of persons who enter his life. included in the group are three beautiful women who become romantically interested in him. keith conceals the torment caused by his physical limitations and repressed anger at the player responsible for his disability. the thread of spirituality woven into the fabric of the story becomes more colorful with the arrival of keith’s clergyman father and his mother. his parents are troubled by keith’s transition from devout christianity to religious indifference. a troublesome development in keith’s life occurs when his wife attempts to reclaim their son, robert, who has accepted as a surrogate mother one of the women in love with his father. as the plot unfolds, virtually all the characters assume an important role in moving the story through adversity and achievement to its climax. in a concluding moment the mystery of the missing god is revealed.