Thomas Smith and his family have traveled from their home in South Scalia to seek medical care for his sister. It's supposed to make everything better. What they discover is that their new home in North Scalia holds danger and the deepest kind of intolerance.
It starts when Thomas is only seven. His younger sister, Grace, gets a simple cough. In impoverished South Scalia, advanced medical care is scarce, and Grace's cough soon turns into a deadly infection. There is no help for her in South Scalia.
Grace's only hope lies across the desert in prosperous North Scalia. Thomas's parents know that they have to do everything they can for their daughter. Surely the inhabitants of North Scalia will not deny a four-year-old girl medical care.
With the help of their beloved donkey, Grandma Jan, the Smiths set off across the desert. Their church and community have given all they can to help the Smiths on their quest. Will it be enough?
The Smith family's experiences have eerie similarities to the current political climate in the United States. Daniel Washle's cautionary fable reveals the ugly underside of a society that claims to be free and just.