For men in mid-life crisis, women in dull jobs, or anyone seeking adventure, Absent takes you on a wild ride. Carter Sutherland, a former high school science teacher, is now a think tank executive living near D.C. His world is precise and analytical; his demeanor, reserved. Because he is partially color-blind, his black-and-white perspective is both literal and physical—until he meets client Tracee Green—a synesthete who sees words as colors. When she offers to take him on four sensory-rich, cerebral journeys to improve his perception and emotional intelligence, he readily agrees. With the power of suggestion and the aid of questionable beverages, Tracee Green guides Carter to pivotal eras in time where he assumes the personas of his alter-egos: Arturo, Arthur, Kar, and RT. With each journey (both sensual and gut-wrenching), he learns about himself and his surroundings—insights he applies to a camouflage project at work. There’s no denying that Carter is attracted to his vision guide, who delights in teasing him with innuendos and blurred reality. And there’s no uncertainty that his wife, Sarah, isn’t thrilled with him visiting Tracee at the Green Light Foundation. The plot turns when Carter starts to suspect Green Light is a front for something else. With the help of his son, an investigative reporter, a subplot is revealed.