 Douglas "Doug" Swieteck is a fourteen-year-old boy living somewhere on Long Island in 1968 during the Vietnam War.After Doug's dad is fired for mouthing off to his boss, the Swietecks move to the small town of Marysville, NY, where Doug feels out of place and unwelcome.In Marysville, Doug is fascinated by "The Birds of America", a book illustrated by John James Audubon, on display under glass at the local library.