In 1963, just before Christmas, two young men set off in their fishing boat in hopes of getting one more good haul of fish before the weather gets bad. They sail off into the stormy waters of St. Mary's Bay, off southwest Nova Scotia...and are never seen again.

Ben Robicheau, who knew the men and experienced the search for them, combines the known facts with informed guesses and literary skill to weave a story of what happened on the stormy waters that night.