Nick Durand grows from childhood to adolesence in St. Ives, a small mining town in the hard coal region of upstate Pennsylvania during the Depression years of the 1930s. As the adult world around him struggles with economic hard times and reacts to explosive national and internatioinal crises, he witnesses outbursts of social violence in the street outside his home, hard fought political campaigns, acts of personal kindness and treachery,and games of adult passion and ambition that he only dimly understands. At the same time he experiences with a loosely knit gang of same-age friends adventures, torments, and startling joys of eary youth. In the course of the book one of Nick's mother's closest friends, the vivacioius Thelma Lark, becomes entangled in a dangerous affair with a charismatic local politician, Nick and his father try to solve a mysterious apparent murder, Nick fears that a "hex" has invaded his home, holidays and weddings are celebrated, mysteries of life and death are pondered, prayers are raised, and Nick feels budding drives of desire and romantic love while discovering moral complexity in his family and friends as America moves toward entrance into the Second World War.