Joseph Jacoby introduces himself. He's a writer and filmmaker, about 60. His mother, mentally ill, spent much of her life in an asylum. After her death, using scraps of information, he sets out to discover the identity of his father. His own birth certificate, Social Security records, and other snippets put him on the trail of Ben, deceased in 2001, whose widow is alive. After months of trying, Joseph meets her. She can't believe her eyes: he looks just like her husband. He flies to California to meet a daughter of this man: she's open and helpful, providing memories that suggest connections. Joseph seeks DNA tests using saliva from envelops of Ben's letters. Has he found his father?