Ian Edwards, a physiotherapist, and his partner Anne (a midwife) set out in 1983 to work in Russian occupied Afghanistan. Communication lines in and out of the country are poor in those days. He is under the impression that he will work in a rehabilitation unit with an orthopaedic surgeon. Instead, upon arrival, he finds out that he is in charge of the first physiotherapy training program and school in the country - a program and school that don't yet exist. After four years of hard work, Ian is burnt out and returns to Australia in ill health. Eighteen years later Ian and Anne have the opportunity to return to Afghanistan. Ian is able to teach in the physiotherapy school that he started.

In a series of dialogues with his recently deceased brother Paul and his young granddaughter Ocean, Edwards returns to his experiences in Afghanistan. He learns that the uncomfortable challenges of being an outsider also enable him to learn hidden truths about hospitality.