Interwoven glimpses into the lives of people in a small Maine town, over a period of about 40 years. Most of the people are older and coping with the effects of age. I would guess that some people might find the stories depressing, but I didn't. While there was not a lot of outright joy, there was tenderness and kindness, and you can see many of the people coming to understand what really matters, what, in the end, keeps us going. Reading this book made me think about they ways in which I take the best parts of the my life for granted: my health, the love all around me, the years stretching out in front of me. I might read it again.