The author lives in the American Northwest, the city of Seattle in the state of Washington. Seattle is a port city. The Puget Sound has bays large enough to receive ocean faring vessels and yet at the same time, the area is protected from any direct effects of the ocean. This has the greatest benefit during stormy weather.

The book is a memoir. The writer gives a crucial definition early on. He defines a relic as something for which the cultural surroundings and supports no longer exist. He writes of discovering this about relics, which directed his intention in his memoirs. He expresses throughout the work that he is now is a relic, though his life was not always that way.

Ivan has an unusual family which was marked by the early death of his mother. He was only six years old when his father became a widower. He recounts that he and his father were with her at the time of her death. This is worth noting because one of the cultural changes has made it so that many people die apart from the members of their family. The way that the family was affected by their grief plays a major role in their lives.

Ivan's father was debilitated by his grief and relatives saved them by taking them in. While this helped financially it was very clear that the greatest need was emotional. After approximately two years, Chris- Ivan's father, though still very affected by the loss, was able to go on living in a more normal manner.

Nearer to the end of the book, the transition into the educated white collar man that he has become is made.