 Ten years ago Sarah Hathaway s gifted and troubled son, Thomas, ran away from their home in Los Angeles. Unable to deal with the doubt and guilt, Sarah s life slowly disintegrates ending in a painful divorce from her husband. Sarah refuses to give up hope of ever finding Thomas and hires a private detective who unexpectedly turns up a new clue as to his whereabouts. Convinced her son is now living abroad, Sarah travels to Russia. Against the backdrop of St. Petersburg s stark beauty, Sarah becomes convinced that her son is the artist behind several paintings being sold in an upmarket gallery. Guided by a mysterious mute street boy, Sarah embarks on an desperate and dangerous adventure to discover the truth about the paintings  origins. Sarah becomes involved with Ivan, a Russian psychiatrist. Russian authorities begin to pressure Sarah to leave the country. Sarah is determined not to leave until she finds her son...or the truth.