Cumberland is an industrial town located halfway between Ottawa and Montreal on the shore of the St. Lawrence River. It's facing the close of its factories and mills in the wake of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Ernest, a mill worker whose job is lost when the mill closes, is fifty-two; his employment prospects are poor. His life to this point hasn't equipped him to face any more loss. Longing for companionship, he meets Bea, a waitress at Malouf's, the local pub. Bea lives in an apartment with Amanda, who left home at seventeen because she couldn#65533;t live with her mother and stepfather. Yearning for a better life, Amanda develops a crush on Nick, Ernest's drinking buddy, who represents many aspects of a better life -- he has a Range Rover, owns a house -- he is emotionally unavailable to Amanda, being a recently widowed single father. The lives of Ernest, Bea, Amanda, Nick, and his son Aaron come together, fall apart, and come together again in this memorable and emotionally satisfying novel.