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.