The protagonist of this novel is a young boy who has suffered from a degenerative disease for many years. Hes seen more doctors than most do in their lifetime in an effort to find a cure, but in vain. Determined to find happiness and peace, he aims to spend his days in places that bring him amity and uplift his morale. But how can he when he constantly visits the ninth ward and stays with his relatives away from his home during treatments? His environment chips away at his psyche in this haunting story that combines hope and despair, and happiness and misery in the same pages.