Struggling to cope with grief, anger, and loss following the death of his wife, Max, a middle-aged man, returns to his childhood seaside home, where he deals with his memories of his first encounter with the Graces, a wealthy vacationing family, his recollections of his wife, and the emotional upheaval of the present as he comes to an understanding of the profound influence of the past on the his life. 20,000 first printing.