Summary

Chapter 1 begins with the arrival of Quinn Porter at the residence of 104-year-old Ona Vitkus in Portland, Maine. Quinn is the father of a character referred to only as “the boy.” The boy has recently died, and Quinn—who was largely an absent father—has taken over the chores that the boy agreed to perform each week at Ona’s house as part of Boy Scouts community service. Quinn does not tell Ona that the boy is dead; he simply says that the boy could not come that day. In Chapter 2, Quinn leaves Ona’s house and goes to the house of his ex-wife, Belle, who is the boy’s mother. Quinn and Belle had married after Belle became pregnant with the boy. They divorced when the boy was young, and Quinn chased his dream of being a successful musician. After five unsuccessful...