At the opening of the novel, Douglas experiences a spiritual epiphany that becomes the central idea holding the various episodes of the story together: an enthralled appreciation for the fact that he is alive: truly alive. In this moment, the sky and trees and air and aromas of nature all conspire to turn up the volume on Douglas’s senses. He knows immediately that this will be a guiding principle of his life. The realization is so intense that it changes him forever, enlightening Douglas enough to fully appreciate the wonders of the everyday world that surround him, and he promises himself to always be aware of the beauty to be found in the ordinary.

Embracing the intensity of life’s wonders also means feeling deeply its disappointments, and Douglas learns this harsh lesson in many different ways as the summer of 1928 inflicts him with losses and grief even as it grants him many treasures and good memories. For example, Douglas’s friend John Huff must leave abruptly with his family, and both Colonel Freeleigh and Great-Grandma die unexpectedly. Each time, Douglas struggles with the losses—which, piled atop other bad things he experiences during the summer, cause him so much stress that he becomes deathly ill.