It's been a while since thirty-year-old Danny Johnson returned to his hometown. When he goes back to attend the funeral of his aunt, it strikes him how distant and dysfunctional his extended family is.
And so, after an intense dream, Danny comes to a decision: he's going to reach out and attempt to get his family back together after years of fighting, separation, drugs, and divorce. In spite of his efforts, however, none of them will commit to meeting and talking about their problems. Desperate, Danny takes a step he'd never intended: he tells a cousin that he has cancer. Although it's not true, it serves as a push to gather all of the family in one place for a reunion. But only time will tell whether Danny will be able to use the meeting to reconnect his family members with each other and help them all find forgiveness.
In this novel, a young man misleads his extended family into believing he has cancer in an effort to bring them together for reconciliation.