The book is about the relationship of a boy, becoming a man, his paternal grandfather, a Vietnam War Veteran, and a friend of the grandfather. The story is about the war in Vietnam and the people who served there. It is also about a boy becoming a man. The boy’s father died in Afghanistan while there as a reporter, a profession that the young man wants to become. It is a story of the boy growing up in Gloucester, Mass., while living with his mother, an artist, and his grandfather.