In 1968, Joel Harris and his wife adopted a six-day-old baby they named Stephen. Despite his parents’ later divorce, and his difficulty obtaining a college degree, Steve grew into a bright young man who became an innovative teacher, first teaching in troubled school systems, then in Nicaragua, where he drowned at thirty-one while trying to save a friend’s dog.

After Steve’s death, Joel went in search of his son’s birth parents, determined to learn more about him. Though he had limited success, the more fruitful search he made was through Steve’s diaries and teaching journals, which bring him to life on the page. The result is a moving portrait of both Stephen and Joel, and of the bonds parents and children make, told in language that mirrors their loving, heartbreaking relationship.