From his experiences as a naval officer in Japan during World War II, Philip Bowman returns to America and becomes a book editor. He soon inhabits a world where affairs ignite, alcohol reigns, writers struggle, and publishers hustle. As one marriage goes bad and another fails to happen; he meets a woman who enthralls, then betrays him, setting him on a course he could never have imagined for himself.
Avis Muir is a brilliant pastry chef, Brian Muir a corporate real estate attorney. Their son, Stanley, is the proprietor of a trendy food market. Their beautiful daughter, Felice, is missing. A runaway at 13, Felice has spent five years modeling tattoos, skateboarding, clubbing, and sleeping in a squat house or on the beach. She's about to turn 18. Soon all of the Muirs will be forced to confront their anguish, loss, and sense...