Jim Beane's five riveting tales of the Eastern seashore depict the elemental beauty and terror of of salt air and wild water and its impact on the harsh, often stormy lives of coastal dwellers who fish the sea, service boats, surf breakers and work in the building trades. "Across the Bay" explores class divisions between long-time locals and summer residents, the "richies," in the wake of a devastating storm. In "Fragile," a young fisherman befriends a hapless, grieving older man. "Before the Storm" explores the difficult relationship of two brothers, one of whom is seriously ill. "Ocean View" is the sometimes hilarious saga of conflict between local and immigrant workers at a sea-side construction site. In "The Rising Tide," an older, long-married couple lose their car keys in the sand and rediscover each other.