Set at a New England boarding school during the early years of World War II, this coming-of-age novel follows Gene, a lonely intellectual, and his charismatic friend Phineas as their summer friendship takes a devastating turn. Like the war consuming the nation, a single moment between the boys destroys their innocence and forever alters the course of their lives. Knowles crafts a harrowing exploration of adolescence, rivalry, and the complex bonds that can both sustain and devastate us.
