Synopsis

Throughout Milo’s life, he’s been on a journey of soul-longing fulfillment. Growing up in a non-descript town in East Texas during World War I, with a selfish and shallow mother, who often clashed with her own domineering mother, Milo’s heart is void of the love he’s always craved. During his adolescent years in Houston, he explores sexual gratification-and comes to terms with his sexual orientation-with a succession of lovers, some young and some mature, in an attempt to fulfill his emotional needs. As a young adult, he heads to San Francisco. When the AIDS epidemic sweeps the country he abandons his attempt to live as a flower child as well as his sometime boyfriend, Marv. Back in Houston. Milo finds solace as a caregiver but is still without the only thing that ever meant anything to him … his mother’s love. To punish himself, he becomes involved with a sadist who almost kills him. Now pushing forty, Milo allows a much younger lover, Eli, to manipulate him and take advantage of him. On what was supposed to be a romantic getaway in Hawaii, Milo is deserted by Eli and made to feel a fool. Finally, he heads to the North Shore of Maui and meets an older and wiser native, who helps Milo peel away the layers of self. deception to find the truth about himself.