On an evening in early October 1967, in the tiny fishing village of Perryís Harbour in Nova Scotia, an unidentified flying object crash lands in the harbour, sending local fisherman scrambling for survivors in the assumed plane crash. This invasion propagates another, as media and military interest concentrates on the fishing village. Young Pocket Snow has a lot to contend with even before the unidentified flying object crashes in the harbour. Just like the vortex created by the UFO incident, another one is happening in the Snow household, as Pocketís mother approaches death and his father tries to cope. At Crosbeyís General Store, where Shirley presides as information clearing-house and coffee-pourer, the locals gather to discuss how the Coast Guard, RCMP, Canadian Navy and U.S. Militaryóa knot of vessels squatting mysteriously out on the Soundóarenít talking to the people of Perryís Harbour. Meanwhile, the Snow family holds its breath, and yet, with the arrival of strangers, the spark of possibility briefly alights them with hopeóeven Merle Snow. In a subtle way, the incident touches and transforms everyone in Perryís Harbour.