At sunset in Key West, twelve-year-old Lissa falls into the gulf and is swept out along a mysterious and shimmering golden path. Using her knowledge of art and poetry (which she learned from her artist parents, a wildlife photographer and a poetry professor), she navigates her way through the beautiful entanglements and curious charming creatures of the coral reef. Finally Lissa arrives in the luminous realm of Kwest, where the diverse citizenry (humans, marine animals, and mermaids) are devoted to creating each sunrise and sunset. As the newest arrival, she is chosen to judge a contest between the Day Crew, who paint the sunset, and the Night Crew, who paint the sunrise. After proving herself, she is offered a choice: to return to the surface and her old life, or remain forever in Kwest as a painter of sunsets.