Summary

The book begins in New York City in 1946. A young man named Walker arrives in the city after serving in World War II. Walker is from Nova Scotia, Canada and served in France, and he is experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He is frightened by fireworks and other loud noises, which incite panic attacks, sending him back to his days in the war. He lives in a flophouse infested with rats and cockroaches and wanders the city night and day, observing his surroundings and frequenting bars. He gets a job at the docks, then at the fish market, which reminds him of home, where he worked as a fisherman in the small town of Broad Cove. He recalls the girl he loved that he left behind there, Annie MacLeod. He also flashes back to periods of relative calm he experienced while...