George Washington Crosby

George Washington Crosby is the main character of the novel. When the novel opens, George Washington Crosby is dying in a hospital bed. The hospital bed is in the dining room of the house that he built with his own two hands. He is surrounded by his wife, grandchildren from Kansas, Atlanta and Seattle, his two daughters and his sister from Florida.

George is in his 70s or early 80s. He grew up in a poor family, where his father drove a wagon for a living. George earned an engineering degree and taught math as a career. After retiring, George started fixing clocks as a hobby. Clock fixing is a hobby that turned into a side business, where he was able to earn and stow away extra money to leave his family after he dies.

As George lays dying, he recalls various events that take place...