As the novel opens, Devi's world is shattered by a bomb blast. It kills her father and grandmother. Her horror turns to panic when she learns that the murderers are actually kidnappers who are looking for her. Her northern Cambodian village has been spared violence for most of her sixteen years. Now she must flee into the jungle with her little brother, her only remaining relative. She fears he will be a burden, but time and again his courage matches her own, and his irresistable humor saves her from despair.
Devi's only idea of safety is to reach the School for Traditional Khmer Dance where her deceased grandmother used to perform. After a harrowing escape through the jungle, they arrive at the temple of Agkor Watt. There they encounter a wolf in sheep's clothing; an associate of their persuer, Ban Rath. Devi is captured and her little brother is lost.
Dr. Tom Whitby is a reluctant missionary working in Cambodia only to please his Christian wife in what otherwise looks to him like a waste of time. His apathey turns to outrage when he learns of the kidnapping. In a wild motorcycle ride, he rushes into a rescue attempt that he has scarcely thought through. His adventure unfolds in a way he could never have planned
Whitby finally understands the power of God's love as he watches the final dance in the story. He is no longer the reluctant missionary.