The book centres on the spiritual and social dynamics of a priest whose uncle is the Don of the most powerful Mafia family in America. Father Don Carlos Albanese discovers the truism of the saying, 'blood is thicker than water', as he becomes an integral part of the Family. His hope is to assist in transforming the Family into a legitimate organisation, as it originally was in Sicily, wherein the Mafia sustained the Sicilians against foreign invaders and assisted the poor in time of need. In America, however, Don Albanese's quest proves to be challenging.