In April 1949, gifted silversmith Moishe Azani presses a note into the hand of an American pilot who has just delivered hundreds of Yemeni Jews like himself to the Promised Land of Israel. For over sixty years, the note sits untranslated and unread, until it comes into the possession of Hank Amato, the pilot's grandson. Unemployed and aimless, Hank seizes the opportunity to retrieve Moishe's abandoned jewelry, a decision that leads him-in the company of a charming female journalist-to a corner of the globe where poverty, corruption, and virulent terrorism have taken root. As Hank finds himself caught up in a dangerous terrorist scheme, he may also find the makings for a fresh start.