Summary

Provincetown

Imagining the view of the town from over the harbor, Oliver reflects that this tiny place holds everything she needs. It used to revolve entirely around fishing. Since the crews hardly ever carried emergency gear, lives were lost relatively often. The retirees often lost one or more fingers from the difficult work. Once, a human leg bone was found in a fishing net. And it was given to a man who had lost his leg in the war, supposing that it was being returned. The owner of the boatyard once had stiff shoulders, so he decided to carry two pails of sand around for the winter. It worked, he was fine by spring. Provincetown attracts many artists because of its “Mediterranean light,” and it is also a very friendly place. Things have changed over the years; more tourists have come, the fishing...