A man who wants to forget his past and a woman who wants him to remember it are the twin themes of this novel, set in Devon and the north east of England. In 2002, Leila Ward, a Middlesbrough-based journalist comes to Devon in search of Philip Hudson who, in 1952, was involved in an incident which hit the front page of the paper for which Leila works. After this incident, Philip left the north east, has never been back, has never spoken to anyone about what happened in 1952 and now lives quietly, working as a newsagent. A friendship develops between Leila and Philip and gradually he begins to break his long silence. Leila then reveals that she has another reason for being interested in his story. She believes that the brother of one of the other people involved in the events of 1952 may be her father whom she has never met. Philip then reveals that he has a son, Malachy, who is autistic. Philip has rejected him, fearing that Malachy is punishment for his sins of fifty years ago. Leila's search for her father merges with Philip's search for his abandoned son and for reconciliation with his past.