Summary

The story opens in the town of Heaven's Bay. It is early September,1973. Heaven Beach is deserted which is fine by Devin Jones, a young man nursing a serious heartache.

Devin had been involved with Wendy Keegan for two years. Both had been students at the University of New Hampshire and had been inseparable. In the summer of 1973, Wendy had decided to take a job in Boston rather than stay at her usual summer job. As the summer progressed, Wendy became more distant and unavailable to Devin, eventually breaking off their relationship.

Wendy’s job in Boston that summer encouraged Devin to take a job at Joyland, an amusement park in North Carolina. Devin had taken the train and then a bus to meet with the park’s employment officer. Devin got the job.

Devin meets Lane Hardy, operator of Thunderball, a Ferris...