It was a 1991 New York Times Notable Book, described as "… a risky combination: a thriller, a philosophical, melodramatic novel of sexual possession, a satire of small-town mores in New England.

"[1] Miles Bannon is a popular high-school English teacher in Boston who enjoys the respect of his students.

He is in a relationship with Margaret but is plagued by a deep insecurity about his sexual orientation, both in his untoward feelings for boys at school and his gay leanings.

Billy Mack, a boy who has been sexually assaulted by a group of older students, develops a crush on Miles, who fails to discourage it.

Miles confronts his own nature as he faces the opprobrium of his colleagues and the homophobia of the local community and media.