On being told by his doctor that he may have a terminal illness, Luke Garland decides to go back to his mothers village for, perhaps, the very last time, where he spent very many happy days with his maternal relatives as a child away from the cold and anonymous face of London. Back to the days of innocence, security, freedom, great joy, and family-bonding and to a place where he felt love, acceptance, patriotism, empathy, and a connection with the simplicity of village life. Back to the memories both bad and good, where he goes to find himself yet instead finds great solacethe solace of accepting the life that he has led.