Father Hungry is the story of an emotional journey undertaken by a teacher and his pupils. Andrew Bader, an English teacher at Beldale School, Sydney, is given 8G, a class of fourteen-year-old boys, to teach, many of whom come from troubled backgrounds. By giving the boys structure and discipline in their lives, and the opportunity for self-expression through debating and public speaking, Bader comes to symbolise the 'father figure' they all so badly need and helps the boys to discover their potential and flourish. However, the suicide of one of Bader's pupils leaves him personally shattered and as he tries to make sense of the tragedy he himself begins to unravel emotionally. For years he has hidden away his personal grief at the death of his own son, Stephen, six years earlier. Unable to cope at the start of a new school year, Bader goes on a road trip and strives to find some perspective on life in the bid to move forward.