The guy beside Lazarus "Mac" McMann at the bar says he is an angel. Mac has his doubts -- most people claiming to be angels, in his experience, are bores at best--- but he suspects he himself is in hell, or at least purgatory for a prolonged stay, so he is prepared to be humble about supernatural claims in bars. Also, this angel is not boring yet. So Mac buys the next round of drinks, setting off a series of events that takes him through utterly unexpected adventures in faith and compassion, grief and despair, and finally the miracle of love itself. The characters he meets along the way are unforgettable, beginning with that rumpled old guy who calls himself "Malachi."