"We follow Scott, a lonely drifter who finds shelter in abandoned buildings on the riverfront and, during the day, earns money as a medical test subject. Full of false confidence, he seeks affection, respect and perhaps even love from the inhabitants of this unfamiliar world.".

"He first befriends Ray, a mysterious homeless man whose tenderness can't hide his unsavory tastes; next, he sets four adolescent boys on a series of increasingly dangerous dares; and he chooses, as the object of his affection, a woman who works airport security. As these relationships develop and tangle, Scott gains insights into many lives, and the consequent action bolsters his claim that things tend to happen around him.

The smallest causes can have amazing effects, along this river, and circumstance can shift the meanings of blame, forgiveness and love."--BOOK JACKET.