Summary

Chapter I takes place at the River Escaut, Cambrai, France in 1917. A British soldier named John lay injured on a battlefield during World War One. Unable to move or hear anything, John began thinking about his wife Helena and about childhood memories of his mother. The perspective switches to Helena and recalls the night that John and Helena met. Helena fell asleep on the train and, confused after being woken by an announcement, panicked and got off the train one stop too soon, leaving her stranded in a small countryside station in the dark. She saw some lights in the distance and began walking towards a nearby inn.

The story continues from the perspective of John and is interspersed with his thoughts as he remains hurt on the battlefield in France, as he contemplated what it might feel like to die...