In the 1960s, a wayward journalist named Paul Kemp travels to Puerto Rico to write for the struggling, rundown newspaper "The San Juan Star". Disillusioned with the noise and madness of New York and the crushing conventions of Eisenhower-era America, Kemp seeks a fresh start and a sense of purpose on the sun-drenched Caribbean island. Once there, he quickly finds himself tangling with the intoxicating atmosphere of Puerto Rico and a colorful cast of expatriates and locals who are all in various states of running away from their pasts. Kemp becomes entranced by the island's beauty and the rum-soaked lifestyle of its denizens.

As Kemp settles into his new life, he encounters an array of characters including Sala, a fellow journalist with a fondness for alcohol, and Sanderson, a wealthy entrepreneur with ambitious plans for Puerto Rico’s future. Sanderson envisions Kemp as a key player in his shady business schemes and attempts to lure him with promises of wealth and success. Kemp is both attracted to and repulsed by the sleazy underbelly of the lucrative operation. Torn between his integrity and the allure of easy money, Kemp's journey takes a deeper turn as he finds himself increasingly involved with Sanderson's world, including a complicated entanglement with Sanderson's beautiful fiancée, Chenault. As he navigates through these challenges, Kemp must decide what kind of man he wants to become amidst the seductive chaos of his tropical surroundings.