Michael Haddad, the teenage son of Palestinian immigrants, comesof age during the tumultuous sixties in his family's neighborhood grocery storein New York City.

In 1967 Michael maneuvers through the working-class neighborhooddelivering groceries and enters the homes and lives of his customers. He'sconfronted by the violence of racist bullies and falls for the radical collegecoed who teaches him about sex, love, and protest. Michael grieves with themother whose only son died in the Vietnam War and is embraced by the firstblack couple who move into the neighborhood. They all shape him, and throughthe conflict of hate, acts of kindness, and his sexual awakening, Michaelstruggles to figure out who this dutiful son of an immigrant family is.

Michael's lifeis buffeted by the killing of Martin Luther King, Jr, and the death, two monthslater, of Bobby Kennedy. His girlfriend opens his eyes to the ongoing struggle totest national ideals against the growing diversity of America. But when Michael experiences a sudden personal tragedy, he mustlearn to get past his fears, come to terms with his heritage, and set himselffree.