David Burroughs

David Burroughs is the main character of the novel. He is also the first person narrator of roughly half the narrative. At the start of the novel, David is serving life in prison for the murder of his three-year-old son Matthew. Although David insists upon his innocence, he resigns himself to his life at Briggs Penitentiary. This is because even if David did not commit the crime, he did fail to protect his son from harm. He therefore feels that he deserves to be punished for his negligence, selfishness, and carelessness.

One day, David’s ex-wife Cheryl’s sister Rachel pays him a visit at the prison. She shows David her friend’s photo from a Six Flags trip. Like Rachel, David becomes convinced that a little boy in the background of the photo is in fact his son. This revelation transforms David’s perception of reality...