Abstract:
An old abandoned automobile, a derailed romance, an intriguing photograph of a man no one wants to talk about, and a gregarious storekeeper with a story to tell are all parts of a mystery that fascinates young Chester Henry, as he grows up in rural Virginia. Years later, in 1964, when Chester leaves home to attend college in Ohio, he carries a double yoke of homesickness and anxiety about his upcoming challenges. However, his outlook brightens as he encounters two sources of great interest: a quiet, enigmatic female classmate and a secretive professor who might hold the missing piece to a long-unsolved puzzle.