Kennedy Sawyer is from an upper middle class, liberal Episcopalian family, and was valedictorian of her high school class.

Roland Abbot is a charismatic, handsome televangelist from New Life Church, which sits on the edge of the conservative Christian Carter University. He's adored by millions, not the least because he often talks about his transformation from his sinful past. A past that includes Kennedy's birth.

What no one knows—other than Roland, Kennedy, and her immediate family—is that Roland is Kennedy's birth father. And she's determined to keep it that way.

Ignoring the cautions of her mother and the confusion of her Ivy League-bound friends, Kennedy enrolls at Carter University. While her intentions are to learn more about her father than the Bible, Kennedy quickly encounters much more than she bargained for on her quest to seek out her genetic and spiritual roots.