The year is 1950 and Ruth Banes is a newly hatched high school graduate who yearns for independence from her family, particularly from a dull and judgmental father. She wants to make life happen, rather than having life happen to her. Barry Crowder will graduate with a degree in aeronautical engineering from USC. His father, Henry Crowder, is the head of stress engineering at McDonnell Douglas, a young aeronautical company in El Segundo, CA. Barry will follow in his father's footsteps. Barry and Ruth meet, date for the better part of a year and then are pushed into marriage by overstepping the moral boundaries of the 1950's, resulting in a son, Greg. Ruth's closest friend, Jewell Landry, has become an airline stewardess, traveling the country and the world. An L. A. stopover brings them together, bringing home to Ruth that she is not making her life happen. Even though Ruth has the obligation to a two year old, she decides to find a path of her own. That decision ultimately becomes a business and provides a degree of financial independence from her husband. Then fate blunders in and just as suddenly as it began, their marriage is over for her. But Barry does not understand Ruth’s problem and cannot accept that they are separated and ultimately will be divorced. Searching for reasons that will let him understand their separation, Barry comes to suspect that Ruth is having an affair and convinces himself that it has been going on for years and that their marrying was based on a lie. Barry is befriended by Snuffy Harman who introduces him to beachcombing. Barry turns up a beachcoming talisman that suggests a plan for revenge on Ruth. His plan is completely foolproof, and but for a significant detail, almost perfect.

Synopsis