The Penitent Heart, is one man's journey from despair to hope. It is the story of Bill, a hapless househusband, who while being under the influence of alcohol causes a road traffic accident, and the subsequent death of the other driver. Overloaded with stress and guilt, Bill suffers a debilitating emotional breakdown. Bill abandons his wife, Ruth, and her three young daughters by her first marriage, to become a cook on a charter yacht bound for the Amazon. Bill may have run away from his wife, his family, and his responsibilities, but no matter how hard he tries, he can't run away from the shadowy spectre of his past. He realizes that one day, sooner than later, he will have to decide whether to keep on running or stop and face the music.