Lewis Aldridge has been released after 2 years in prison. It is 1957, and he is coming home. But for some reason, nobody's really keen on seeing Lewis again. Why?

Rewind to 1945. His father has just returned from the war and somewhat dismayed to see that young Lewis has become quite attached to his mother. For his part, Lewis barely remembers his father. A few years later, in a tragic accident, Lewis's drunken mother drowns in the river, and nothing is ever the same again. For anyone.

For Lewis, life is hell. From his father's swift remarriage to being shipped off to boarding school, there is a decided lack of love in his life. For his father, there is only unexpressed pain regarding his wife's death and his son's resemblance to the dead woman.

This is the heartbreaking story of Lewis, his family, and the repressed society in which he lives. It is very sad and very real.