Skinner Lincoln was "happy, happy, happy" for the first 12 years of his life. On his 12th birthday, he witnessed his twin brother's accidental death. He spent the next 50 years being suicidal and in a deep depression. He carried on with his life with the help of his family, a promise to his mother, a high-concentration job as a court reporter, and an extremely structured life. When he was 62, his mother died and so did his promise. His suicide attempt failed and he was committed to a mental hospital. Stories of Skinner's life and his fears of chickens, fire and brimstone sermons, and grown men whispering are told by his own short-hand scribbling, his family, hospital staff, patients, and acquaintances from his slightly incestuous hometown. The man who ran over his brother and a bee-keeping, Poor Clare Nun, each tell stories of Skinner's life and his search for peace.