The main character of the book, Simon, tries to kill himself by jumping into a river with plans to drown. The man that rescues him dies in the process and Simon has to carry around that guilt. Simon reaches out to the widow and children of the deceased hero and finds healing through an unusual outcome.
Barbara Noble (1907–2001) was an English publisher and novelist. She wrote 6 novels of her own, and as head of the London office of Doubleday was instrumental in the publication of thousands of others.