The story in this book begins with a chance encounter. As the author later explains, she was living with her family in Japan, and serving as a diplomat (for the United States). One day, at a gathering she attended in Tokyo, a man gives her a name-card on which he identifies himself as a haiku poet. This sparks a conversation, which leads to a connection.
It was not that the author had never read any haiku before. "I liked reading haiku at night before going to bed," she explains. "They were short and quick to read." They helped her to relax, she tells us, "while at the same time improving my Japanese language skills." Her new acquaintance, whose haiku name is "Traveling Man Tree," invites her to attend his haiku group and meet his teacher. So the adventure begins.
The book, divided into three sections ("The Extraordinary," "Fellowship" and "Harmony"), describes the writer's education in the haiku world, through direct contact with a group of practicing poets and their leader. She is the first foreigner to join the group, and bravely tries to compose her poems in Japanese. Though a complete beginner, she is warmly welcomed and encouraged in her efforts.