Thirteen years ago Jackson Leone fled his tiny island home, a rain-worshiping utopia with a deep-seated fear of tourism, and made a life in Europe as a sculptor for hire.

Now he’s back, still wrong in all the same ways: irreligious, socially awkward, and gay. But the town is building an ark, and skills such as his are scarce. Noah, the sister he adores, urges him to stay and work. He protests—until he gets a breathless glimpse of what he’s really seeking.