The novel tells the story of two people who collide with each other just as the whole world seems to be caught between the drama of Obama's election and the catastrophic collapse of the global economy. Bruno is a middle-aged American banker who has come to Ireland as a refugee from the financial meltdown in his own country. Addie is an out of work Irish architect. When she meets Bruno, her life seems to be on a downward spiral. Addie and Bruno's story is a story of nationality and identity, of the power of optimism to defeat despair and the unstoppable march of time. It's the story of two people who find joy together when they were least expecting it.