Tom is a young Jehovah’s Witness who refuses to be conscripted into the apartheid military machine in 1971 on religious grounds and is sentenced to three months imprisonment in the military prison (DB). It is not an alternative to conscription, it is simply punishment for refusing to go and, once that sentence is served, he will be conscripted again.

Erith, Tom’s father, is an erstwhile WW2 hero and a senior banker, who is determined to rescue his son from the injustice. He goes to great lengths to have his son released; including  exposing Tom’s plight in the media and to parliament, while petitioning the Prime Minister for Tom’s release. His actions annoy the authorities and his employers, who hold several of the government’s bank accounts. He also upsets the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who fear a backlash from the government.

In prison, Tom is targeted as a troublemaker and spends most of his time in solitary confinement – under torturous conditions – for refusing to cooperate. Eventually, through pressure groups, the law is amended and Tom is released after two years.

Tom now enjoys hero status within the Jehovah’s Witnesses and immerses himself in Witness activities. But after two years of mission work, he’s disillusioned by the dogma and the necessity to lead a double life: Tom is gay, which is forbidden for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

He moves to Durban and finds an apartment with his lover. It seems to have been the right decision, but he’s outed by a fellow Jehovah’s Witness, excommunicated, and rejected by all; including Erith who says: “My son died today.”

Despite being emotionally destroyed, Tom is finally free to live his life, eventually becoming a successful businessman and a renowned Hypnotherapist.