Visually impaired Walnut cannot earn his adult name the same way other boys do, by hitting a target with a bow and arrow, no matter how often his mother tries to teach him. With his highly developed other senses, however, he shows that he can see what cannot be seen, and earns a new name: Sees Behind Trees. But even with an adult name, Sees Behind Trees does not feel like a man until the elderly artist Gray Fire calls upon his special skill to help him find the mysterious land of water. This journey proves to be filled with challenges both physical and spiritual, as Sees Behind Trees turns his nearsightedness into an advantage and discovers what it really means to be grown up.