Phillipa "Snip" Freeman is an artist and a wanderer, proudly in control of her own world. That is until an envelope arrives, mailed by her grandmother before her death. It contains a check for $30,000 and one simple instruction: Hunt him down. With the note in hand, and with Dave, her handsome traveling companion by her side, Snip embarks on a journey into the Australian outback to find her father, Bud, and to unravel the terrifying silence of her childhood.Snip reaches Bud in the communal land of the Aborigines, and thinks that perhaps she has found home. But the shadow of past mistakes looms large over the territory, and Bud must flee. Desperate for her father's love, Snip follows. On the run together in the fierce desert, they speak of past hurts and betrayals. Finally, in a confession that will change Snip forever, Bud reveals the dreadful secret behind his self-imposed exile.