Fleeing from childhood traumas, Robert sees Brazil as paradise. But when his wife returns home, he stays, defiant but in doing so endangers his life.
Robert’s executive job in Rio de Janeiro is his escape from a troubled childhood which has left him distrustful of men and uncertain about women. He adores the expatriate lifestyle and is certain he can find security and recognition. But his wife, Ros, fears the dictatorship. When he refuses to return, she takes their children back to England. Shocked and feeling betrayed, he stays, convinced that he can he find success and win back his family. He is made a Director, but even with this success he cannot avoid having to cope with corruption and injustice that challenge his own very British habits. He struggles with loneliness and his difficulties in forming relationships. A rich businessman introduces him to his daughter, a divorced socialite. Robert becomes infatuated with her but she plays him off against a jealous and violent suitor. Then he meets an Army officer whose disaffection with the military regime leads him into opposition and threatens not just Robert’s stay in Brazil but also his life. Only one man offers the stable male relationship that he seeks but will he save Robert when his life is in danger, before Robert risks everything to atone his father's death?